Jaune of Hearts
by Shadowlight0982
Summary: "I've been having these weird thoughts lately... Like, is any of this real or not?" Jaune Arc always wanted to be a hero like his father and grandfather before him. However, fate has something especially planned for him. Multiple worlds, saving his friends, Fighting powerful monsters. And it all began with a simple key. (Pairings Secret, Ratings may change, Read, Review, Enjoy.)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Wolfpackersson09 and I do not own RWBY or Kingdom Hearts. RWBY is owned by RoosterTeeth and Kingdom Hearts is owned by Disney and Square Enix. Please support the official release.**

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Beacon Academy; the most well-known training schools in the kingdom of Vale and, one of the most well-known training facilities in the world of Remnant. This combat school is created with the purpose to teach teams of the next generation to hone their skills and techniques to combat against the creatures of Grimm.

It is here where heroes train, test, and nurture to become future teams of Huntsmen and Huntresses to defend the kingdoms of Remnant.

Like a beacon, they are the light. Setup to ward away the darkness, no matter what form they may take.

"So as you see class. While Beowolves always follow the usual pack mentality, there is always an Alpha Beowolf. They are the ones that lead the pack and to take them out first cause the rest to break into a frenzy of confusion." Professor Peter Port explained to his Grimm studies class as he displayed two diagrams of werewolf like creatures. "A pack without a leader, become nothing than chickens with their heads cuts up! Haha! Now that brings me back to my days hunting down packs in Ol' Los Santos...!"

Unfortunately, the students of Beacon were now doing more sleeping than any testing or training. It wasn't that the portly huntsman was an awful teacher. It was his tendencies to tell stories that dragged out and tire out his students.

Jaune Arc is one of those students that were having trouble enjoying the teacher's epic tales as he fought to keep his eyes open. He looked around the room to see how a few of his friends were doing.

His fellow leader, Ruby Rose, almost beat him to dreamland if it wasn't for her partner Weiss nudging her awake every time she drop. The snow angel was still awake like a good student though she was reaching her limits. Other good students like Blake Belladonna, Lie Ren and Pyrrha Nikos were also barely staying alert while others like Nora Valkyrie and Yang Xiao Long have long since fallen to sleep at their desks like the majority of the class. After another few minutes of listening to Port's Hunting Tales, Jaune finally closed his eyes and let the world go dark around him.

**(Scene Change)**

Two pools of deep blue opened again and were still greeted with blackness that seemed to stretch out for miles. Looking up, he saw he was falling slowly down in the middle of a faint ray of light. The fall quietly ended as feet touched solid ground. The floor immediately erupts into doves that departed into the black skies, leaving Jaune in the middle of a glass platform.

Flustered and confused, Jaune looked around to see the glass portrayed a princess with an apple in hand. Surrounded her are many forest animals and seven men, each one expression different emotions.

"Whoa…" Jaune called out in awe and just then he noticed a strange fact.

Instead of his Beacon uniform, he was in his usual combat clothes, a black hoodie with reddish-orange colored sleeves, brown wrist length fingerless gloves, blue jeans, two crossing brown belts and black shoes. Over those clothes was armor, a chestplate and pauldrons, along with metal plates on his gloves, giving him the appearance of a modern day knight.

"Uh, where am I?" He asked sheepishly, trying to decipher why he was here. "How'd I get here? And out of my uniform?" He asked as well, but as before there was no answer; only a response.

_So much to do, so little time._

A voice seemed to speak from everywhere and nowhere, startling the blond knight.

"Who's there!?" Nervous, he reached to his side only to grab air. It had just clicked that he did not have his weapon with him.

_Can you approach the light? At least do that._

"The light?" Jaune wasn't sure what the voice meant. In most stories walking towards the light was the wrong idea, he was sure. But the voice seemed reassuring, calming, he stepped more forward towards the center of the platform and bathed in the light.

The voice spoke again.

_Power sleeps within you._

Three pedestals arose from the platform as the voice continued. _If you give it form, it shall give you strength._ Three weapons appeared on each pedestal in a flash of light: a Sword, a Staff, and a Shield, all suspended in air.

'Am I supposed to pick one of these?' Jaune thought to himself. Deciding once again to trust the mysterious and calm voice, his eye was naturally drawn immediately to the sword. It was a symbolic weapon, and one that had the appeal of heroism. The weapon of a hero, the weapon his father and his fathers before have used.

_Power of the warrior. Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction._ _Is the power that you seek?_

Now if you have asked Jaune Arc that question before coming to Beacon, he would have taken the sword immediately, but already one semester had him thinking otherwise. He started to have second thoughts. If the sword could only destroy, then how was that heroic? Is the terrible destruction worth invincible courage?

His thought then went to the staff; images of expert dust users filled his head. As he thought more about the staff, he began to picture Weiss' use dust spells with her weapon and her semblance. It seemed to be pretty powerful if mastered. Jaune placed the sword back and walked to the next pedestal to his next option.

_Power of the Mystic. Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin. Is this the power that you seek?_

"I don't know...The sword only destroys, but the staff could help a lot of people. So, why does it bring ruin too? D'oh this is hard!" Jaune asked out to the faceless voice, but he received no answer. Sighing dejectedly, he placed down the staff to think about it more. Looking over to see there was only one more object left to look at before he made his choice: the Shield.

"Not really my first idea of a hero's main weapon, but Pyrrha and I are pretty handy with a shield." Jaune spoke as he placed his hands on the defensive weapon.

_Power of the Guardian. Kindness to aid friends. A Shield to repel all. Is this the power you seek?_

'Finally, one without a negative! At least not one that I can see.' Jaune smiled as he grasped the shield. Kindness to aid his friends, a shield that repels evil. Whether against the Grimm or even his fellow classmates Jaune wouldn't allow anything harm his friends. All of those thoughts run through his head as his grip tightened around the shield's handle.

"This one is for me. Definitely!" Just as he said that the shield bursts into severally balls of light. Before the blond knight could where his weapon went the voice spoke again.

_Your Path is set. Now what will you give up in exchange?_

That threw Jaune for a loop; he didn't think he would have to give something up in order to "shape" his power. It was a tough decision for him to make, give up the power of the warrior or the mystic? Jaune walked back over to the sword, to examine it again.

_Power of the warrior, Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction. Is this the power you give up?_

Jaune pondered on that a bit. The shield was often paired with a sword for a reason: the shield defended while the sword struck. The sword was a warrior's tool, and warriors were always courageous. He did like the idea of invincible courage, but was courage really worth the price of terrible destruction? He placed it back down so that he could look at the staff once more.

_Power of the mystic, Inner strength. A staff of both wonder and ruin. Is this the power that you give up?_

Jaune's thoughts were going a mile a minute. While the sword brought courage, he started thinking about inner strength. Was it something like Aura? If it was, Pyrrha had mentioned that he had a lot of it. There was also the time in the forest of Forever Fall, when he let Cardin beat him up after making a choice to not throw that sap at Pyrrha instead of trying to save himself. It was pretty heroic, courageous even, but it also took a good deal of inner strength just to do it. He could have just dropped the bottle, he probably could have just walked away and taken any punishment that Beacon would give him for lying his way in, but instead he just let the guy beat him up. Then there was the fact of 'wonder and ruin'. What did that mean? He was too curious just to give it up something like that and he had all the courage he needed and more. He placed the staff down and returned to the sword.

_Power of the warrior, Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction. Is this the power you give up?_

"Yes." Jaune spoke with a heavy heart. Each one had good points that he didn't want to give up truly, but if Aura id used for healing and fighting, then he wouldn't give it up the chance to learn how to use his aura more efficiently. Like the shield, the sword vanished, however instead of showering him in light, the light simply faded away.

_You have chosen the power of the guardian. You have relinquished the power of the warrior. Is this the path you truly wish?_

Could he have chosen a different set? Yet, while he wished it was so, he wouldn't regret not choosing the path of a warrior.

"Yes." He said, but as had done so the pedestals began to fall. They sank into the platform as it began to shatter, causing Jaune to fall further into the blackness.

As Jaune continued his descent, another platform came into view. The knight closed his eyes, wanting to avoid the incoming crash landing, only to feel his fall slow to an easy drop. Jaune opened his eyes just as he landed on his feet. A new princess was depicted on this platform. On the violet glass was a sleeping woman in an elegant dress; a vivid staircase and scenes of castles and chariots around her. She was just as beautiful as the last one, but for now Jaune paid that no mind.

As Jaune took a step forward, his right hand began to glow. He raised his hand, trying to figure out what the light meant only to be shocked as the shield appeared back into his hand. The blond stumbled a bit, almost dropping his new shield from surprise. He began to swing it around, testing its weight. It was much lighter than Crocea Mors' shield, but he felt that this shield could still do its job as a defender. Jaune swung the shield around a bit more to test the feel of it some more.

_You have gained the power to fight._

"Fight...with just a shield?" Instinctively, with his free hand, he reached again to his hip where Crocea Mors would've laid sheathed only to remember that he was still without his family's weapon. Grasping hard on the handle of his new shield, Jaune recalled his training with Pyrrha and shifted into a more solid footing. He swung the shield around as he would his sword, though he would also thrust the shield forward. It seems like he could use the shield as a blunt, bashing weapon, however, the edge felt fine enough to cause damage if used the right way.

_All right! You've got it!_ The voice cheered this time as opposed to its usual monotone. As the blond finished off testing his new weapon, the voice spoke again. _Use this power to protect yourself and others. There will be times when you have to fight._

"Fight, you mean fighting Grimm?" Jaune asked out to the voice. He looked around the platform, until he spotted something unusual. A small shadowlike creature was moving flat along the glass on its own. "What in Remnant...is that thing?"

Jaune continued to look at it until the shadow rose from the floor. Its appearance was strange, with its two sharp looking claws and childish height. It had two antennas, a roundish head, and glowing yellow eyes. It certainly was not a Grimm, as it had no mask or bonelike armor that the ferocious creatures of Remnant shared. It suddenly leapt at him and Jaune quickly reacted by swinging his shield to defend himself. Thankfully, he managed to block it and strike back, knocking the creature away. While looking harmless, the creature seemed a bit stronger than Jaune expected. It tried again, only Jaune was ready this time. Dodging the flying strike, he struck back with a simple combination of swings. Repeated bashing with the shield caused the creature to vanish in a haze of darkness.

_When in battle, always keep your surroundings in mind._

_Look out!_

Jaune heeded the warning managed to dodge a second of the creatures. Looking at his surroundings, Jaune watch as two more appeared. The first shadow rushed to swipe at the blond knight, causing Jaune to use the shield to block the shadows claws. Like a bat, Jaune knocked the shadow out the air. A few more bashes and swings, had all three shadow creatures knocked into a pile. Just like the first one, they become nothing more than a haze of darkness after their defeat.

"All right, anyone else?!" Feeling more confident, walking around to see if more would spawn until his foot began to sink into the floor.

"Huh?" The blond knight asked himself before he started to panic. The platform under him seemed to be swallowed up in a pool of darkness. Murky black pools, with occasional dark red and purple began to spread across the glass and start to drag him further down into it. Grabbing onto his leg, Jaune tried to pool his leg from the sinking pit, trying to stay above the watery darkness. It continued to spread, pulling him further and further down, the darkness reaching up his torso and to his face. Jaune struggled to breathe, smothered an ebony coffin until he finally felt relief. No longer swallowed by darkness, he first calm himself down and opened his eyes.

A new glass platform, this one colored in shades of pink, replaced the dark pool he had sunk in. Three princesses decorated the glass, only he could make out any of their features like he could the last two.

"Okay, it's official. This is one crazy dream that I'd like to wake up from...and I'm talking to myself." Jaune mentioned as he looked for a way out. As if to mock his request, all he got was a transparent doorway standing in the center of the platform.

Examining the door, he passes his hand through it a few times before he came to an obvious conclusion. "So I can't even touch the doors, let alone open it. Hey, random voice in my head, I could use a little help here!" Jaune called out to the heavens hoping to find something to help him progress further through this weird dream.

Almost immediately, his call was answered by a light descending from the sky, lighting up a chest in the corner of the platform. Having no other choice, Jaune walked over to the chest and tapped it with the tip of his shield. The top of the chest flung open, showing nothing inside before vanishing into light.

"I ask for help and I get an empty chest, good job Jaune." After a pat on the back he turned and saw that the doorway gleam a soft light before becoming solid. Ever the curious one, Jaune ventured forward placing a hand on the doors, checking if it wasn't just a trick of the light. Pressing his hand and feeling solid wood he was about to call for joy until logic invaded his head. Jaune backed up and looked around the doorway to see that it leads to nowhere.

"Where do these doors go? This doesn't make any..." Jaune came to a realization. "It's my dream so it doesn't have to make sense but my dreams aren't ever this freaky. This looks like something Nora would dream of if she has too much syrup on her pancakes." Walking back to the door he noticed that it began to open on its own. Jaune had to shield his eyes as a harsh intense light sprang forth from the moving doors. He walked closer to the light, reaching out before his entire vision went white.

Blinking the spots away, Jaune looked around and finally saw something familiar. Instead of another platform with a princess or even Professor Port's class, he found himself right in front of Beacon Academy courtyard.

"Did I sleepwalk the whole day? How am I out here now?" Looking around he saw that he wasn't alone. Standing out in the courtyard as well were Ren and Nora, his teammates from JNPR and Blake from Team RWBY.

"Maybe they know what's going on. I hope I didn't do anything embarrassing while I sleepwalked." Jaune walked towards the nearest person, Nora.

The orangette gave him a bright smile as he got into hearing distance. "Hey, Jaune, what do you reaaaalllyyy want out of life? To see rare sights, be a hero, or maybe you'd wanna find some romance!" Nora randomly threw at her leader out of the blue. Surprised by the sudden question and Jaune had to think about it for a moment. These questions felt more, important that they should. Still he couldn't help but wonder if he was just being paranoid.

"Um, maybe being a hero, but Nora why the questions? How did I get out here after…?" Jaune wanted to finish but it seemed that Nora was ignoring everything besides his answer.

"So, being a hero's all it's cracked up to be? Your choice Jaune." Nora said and then went back to ignoring the blond.

Shaking his head, Jaune decided to ask Blake what was going on. She'd have the sense to actually talk to him. Nora usually isn't the first choice to get answers from because of her randomness, at times. Though he had to admit it was kind of funny or addictive to get caught up in her pace. Must be how Ren lasted through their friendship.

Back to Blake, the B of Team RWBY was in the middle of reading her book as Jaune approached her, he noticed the cover of the novel: Ninja's of Love. Jaune wanted to ask why Blake was reading that kind of book out in the open (yes he knew all about what that book was about), but he decided against it and focused only on getting answers.

However; before he could call the feline Faunus' name, the book closed and a pair of yellow eyes stared back into a stunned blue.

"Jaune, what is most important to you? Being the best, your friends, or your prized possessions?" Blake asked the confused Knight.

"Most important...? Friendship of course but Blake..."

"Friendship, is that such a big deal?" Blake interrupted him before going back to her book.

Jaune wanted to talk what she meant but it looks like the Cat Faunus was ready to ignore him as well like the Valkyrie before her. Defeated, Jaune walked past her towards Ren, though he thought he saw a smile on Blake's face as he passed her for a second. Thoughts of Blake aside; hopefully Ren will have an idea of what's going on, next to Blake, he was the most sensible out of their group of friends.

Just like the other two, as soon as approached him Ren looked at him and asked a question as well. "What are you most afraid of: Getting old, being different, or being indecisive?" Jaune just slumped at the irony; he was being asked questions while he was trying to get answers. He picked himself up and like before, he answered.

"Being indecisive I guess, but what's with the questions? I'm trying to ask the questions here." Hoping one of them would stop acting weird and answer him, a familiar voice finally did.

_So, you are afraid of being indecisive, you want to broaden your horizons, and friendship is most important to you._

"Oh, it's you again." Jaune sighed. "I guess this is still a dream."

_Your journey begins at midday, if you keep a steady course you shall do just fine._

"Damn, this is even freakier then I thought...still think it's something Nora would come up on a pancake high though." Jaune said as the world turned bright white around him and he was suddenly on another platform with yet a different princess. On the red glass, the princess in the violet dress lied sleeping with a rose on her chest. Three fairies flew around her, around the thorn and roses. The same black skies, and quickly he noticed that the door he walked through was no longer there. That was when he noticed those shadowy creatures again, crawling up from the floor.

"And here we go again." The shield appeared in his hand and Jaune got prepared for another fight.

The creatures all leapt at the blond at once, claws ready to rip into his flesh. Instead of trying to defend them all at one, Jaune rolled his way out causing them to collide into each other. Jaune quickly bashed the closest one that fell towards him with his shield turning it into a haze. He then swung his way through the waves of enemies, constantly switching from attacking to blocking. Claws swiped and bounced off his shield, stunning for a moment and allowing the blond knight to maneuver through them. Quickly spinning and swinging he attacked his way through the hordes of shadows. With a full, final arc Jaune turned the shadowy creatures into a black mist.

"Those things aren't Grimm, but they weren't friendly." Jaune stopped to catch a quick breath after that surprise battle. He then spied another light that lead him to a path of glass steps floating up high into the black void.

"Guess I'm going up." He lightened the mood as he ran up the path appearing in the light. Running up he saw that they were leading him to another platform. "How many more of these do I have to see before I wake up?!" Jaune yelled as he reached the top of the newest golden platform. This princess in a yellow ball gown and behind her was an angry, snarling beast. Above the two of them was a single rose. The blond knight then saw a single light shine in the center and by instinct walked towards it.

_The closer you get to light, the greater your shadow becomes._

"My Shadoooo-oooh my dust!" Jaune turned around and scrambled back as he saw his own shadow had grown and started to rise from the ground much like the creatures before, towering over the smaller knight. The shadow continued to share his likeness until its features began to distort into a new form.

_But don't be afraid._

"Easy for you to say!"

Thin black and curly feet landed on the ground, leading up to the colossal shadow. Its shorter legs led to a large muscular body with a hole in the shape of a heart in his chest. It had long black arms, almost reaching the ground, small twisted wings spread from its back and its face with hidden by dozens of thin, black, threads. The only thing not black, were the glowing yellow eyes staring back at Jaune.

_And don't forget..._

Jaune kept on backing up until his foot felt nothing and almost fell from the platform into the darkness below. After righting himself he turned and saw the giant moving closer towards him. Looking down at his shield, he got prepared for what may be the fight of his (dream) life.

_That you hold the mightiest weapon of all._

"A shield isn't exactly a weapon, but then again I'm not Pyrrha, or Ruby, or Yang, or anyone else, especially Weiss." Jaune commented as he managed to roll away before the creature slammed its fist down where he was standing. A dark energy gathered from its fist, creating a pool of darkness and summoning the same creatures that he fought earlier, and he realized that this colossal creature was the one making them. It was also the one who tried to pool him into the darkness.

"So, I can get out of here if I beat you huh?" Jaune took care of the smaller creatures easily enough, but that's when he saw the colossal creature got down on its knees, and gather a pale light within the center of its chest.

'That doesn't look good.' Jaune thought as his suspicion was correct: it was three energy blasts, similar to a dust spell, and they were coming right at him. He managed to block with his shield, but the recoil actually knocked him to the ground. The creature fired three more shots, and quickly getting to his feet he blocked the blast with more success. But Jaune needed to think of a way to counterattack instead of trying to tank the hits with his shield and aura. Thinking up a strategy, he could think of only two ways to take on the colossal shadow.

Strike the energy blasts back and hope it hurts the monster.

Or try to climb his way up to its face and strike there.

Neither choice was really appealing, but he had done crazier before. He must've been crazy at that moment as he decided to try his options out.

Running towards the giant, the knight rose his shield up in time to deflect an energy blast away, sending it flying into the darkness. Liking his results he angled his weapon to fire the Colossus' shots back at its head, causing the giant shadow to rear its head back in pain. The Colossus decided to fire multiple shots at one in order to pressure the blond haired knight more.

Not wanting to risk getting overwhelmed by the blasts, Jaune stopped and held his ground in order to black the creature's assault from behind his shield.

Peeking from behind his shield, Jaune had to roll away as he was barely able to roll out the way of the Colossus' fist. Another familiar pool of darkness opened up and from it, hordes of the smaller shadowy creatures began to rise and target the young knight.

"Ok, more company." Jaune said as he began to knock away the ones that attacked him immediately.

Experimenting, Jaune began to use the chance to attack the giant arm while ignoring the smaller threats. Bashing the colossal shadow with his shield, few swipes at the arm, sparks flew from the giant's arm causing him to draw his limb away from the blond knight. The creature quickly swiped at the blond; creating distance for itself as Jaune backed away to avoid the flailing limbs. Crossing its arms it began to fire another round of energy from its chest, attempting to overwhelm its tiny adversary. Already used to monster's timing, Jaune quickly deflected all the blast back at the Colossal causing it to stagger backwards. With that window of opportunity, Jaune vaulted, using the creature's legs and struck a harsh blow to its head.

The monster howled in pain and anger all while Jaune landed back on the platform. Jaune, filled with confidence, got ready to attack, until his weapon vanished in his hand and the platform began to rumble, the force toppling him to the ground. The pools of darkness returned and ensnared him all the while the creature stepped ominously towards him.

_Do not be afraid_

The yellow eyes bore down on Jaune as he struggled to get out of the sinking pool of darkness. Pulling against the black .vines that were binding him, the distance between him and the creature quickly disappeared

_And remember..._

Jaune couldn't even come up with a retort as he was being cocooned by the darkness around. The giant also sinking into it, but unlike him it didn't struggle. It seemed to become one with the murky ebony around them, staring down at him with those soulless glowing eyes. He continued to struggle to the end, with no weapon of any sort to help him get out of this situation. Soon his vision and everything began to fade to black.

_That you are the one, who will open the door._

* * *

**(Jaune of Hearts)**

* * *

"...And it seems that shall be all for the day." Professor Peter Port finished up just as the bell rang, rousing the sleeping students from their naps.

Jaune jumped awake and held back a potential scream. His heart was still racing as he looked around and was thankful that the dream was over. Breathing a little fast, he wiped a bit of the cold sweat off his forehead as he began to gather his things.

"You okay Jaune?"

Looking up, the blond spotted who ask the question.

Ruby Rose, a girl two years his junior, with short black hair that ending in red tips, and silver eyes wearing their academy uniform: a brown jacket over a tan vest, white shirt, red plaid skirt, long stockings and black shoes but it also had the addition of a red hood.

Standing next to her was another girl, much taller than her. This girl, Pyrrha Nikos, was his age with jade green eyes and bright red hair in a long ponytail. She was wearing the same uniform as the younger girl, only she also had on a bronze circlet headpiece, a pair of green teardrop-shaped emeralds hanging from them on thin chains.

"H-Huh, yeah just class dragging on is all." Jaune answered her while straightening himself out after his shock from sleep. The two girls turn to each other for a moment before turning back to the blond.

"Jaune, have you been feeling all right? This is the fourth time this week you've fallen asleep in class. Have you been sleeping all right?" Pyrrha asked her partner. She was really concerned for his health and wondered if the lack of sleep and the dreams he's having are affecting him. The blond knight has been doing much better physically after they started their training lessons last semester, but that didn't stop her from having some worries about his mental health.

"Yeah Jaune, is something going on that you're not telling anyone? Stress isn't really the best thing a leader should have." Ruby advised her fellow leader. The leader of Team RWBY also had worries for her first friend at Beacon. It wouldn't be the first time he had acted strange to try and cover up a problem he's having. Thankfully the Cardin incident was months behind them.

"It's nothing; I've just been having strange dreams lately." Jaune stood up from his seat. "I was walking around in this...weird place. Fighting these shadow things, things that weren't Grimm, and then fighting some giant monster." Jaune then let out a breath after explaining the dreams he had been having. "Who knows, maybe I been stressing since we've started the new semester."

"Jaune, I understand you might be nervous but it's just another semester. You're doing much better in the combat classes and you're acing the theory classes. You'll do fine this semester." Pyrrha reassured him.

Ruby placed a finger to her a chin and thought for a second before a lightbulb went off. "Don't you worry Jaune. I've got a plan that will take all of your stress away!"

"Huh?" Jaune questioned the younger redhead. Pyrrha also looked at Ruby with a bit of confusion.

"Ruby what are you talking about?" Jaune asked the smiling girl.

"I can't tell you guys now, it'll spoil it! Just come to the cafeteria and have our teams eat together, I'll tell you guys then!" Ruby said to Pyrrha before vanish in a blur of rose petals. Before either then could get a clue what she meant, Ruby had already left thanks to her speed semblance.

"I guess we'll find out when we get there, huh Jaune?" Pyrrha smiled and asked him. Ruby's enthusiasm was very contagious.

"I guess so." Jaune answered as they both left to meet with Ren and Nora before they all headed to the cafeteria.

**(Cafeteria)**

Jaune and Pyrrha were sitting down with the rest of Team JNPR, enjoying their lunch as they waited for Ruby to arrive. Right now, they were busy watching their friends' antics.

Nora, a girl with short orange hair and turquoise blue eyes, was tossing food at another girl, Yang Xiao-Long, another girl with long blonde hair, purple eyes, and a voluptuous figure (Hey with Yang it was hard not to notice, Jaune was honest to himself). Yang was catching the food with her mouth while sitting next to her partner, Blake. The long black haired and yellow eyed girl was reading a book. Next to Blake is Ruby's partner Weiss Schnee, and someone that Jaune was attracted to not because of her background. She had a decent figure, more petite compared to Yang and Blake, long white hair in a side ponytail and blue eyes with a scar that Jaune noted but didn't think it made her any less beautiful in his opinion. Then again, he thought that most of the girls he knew were attractive in their own right. Before anything else could happen, Ruby came up with a big white binder and slammed it on the table.

"Sisters, friends, Weiss," Ruby started and ignored the indignant "hey" that came from Weiss as she continues. "Four score and seven minutes ago, had a dream! And that dream is to have the best day anyone has ever had…ever!"

"Is that my binder?" Weiss asked, noticing the crossed out 'Property of Weiss Schnee' on the binder itself. Ruby just smiled and held her hands to her side in a 'peace' sign of sorts.

"I am not a crook." The Rose said with a cheerful smile.

"What are you talking about?" Blake asked, shocked from her reading after her leader slammed down the heavy binder on the table.

"I'm talking about kicking the new semester off with a bang!" Ruby fired off.

"I always kick off my semesters with a 'Yang!'" Yang punned, only to receive silence all around. "Huh, huh?! Oh come on, that was punny!" Yang tried to justify her joke if an apple hadn't bounced off her head, causing her to glare at the thrower.

"Booooooo!"

"Nora..."

"Guys, with the new semester coming up and new students and people coming in for the tournament and the Vytal Festival; I thought we could all get together and have one full day of fun before we get thrown back into training, classes, and...homework." Ruby grimaced at the thought of the latter before her smile returned. "So let's throw away all our stress and worries, to have the biggest bestest Best Day Ever!"

"So that is what you were planning to help Jaune." Pyrrha mentioned as she thought about it aloud. A fun day of relaxing and not thinking about those troubling dreams or stressful work could help them all with relieving stress for a time. Also this would help with Jaune's problem and help lift his spirits. Too much stress could cause him to fail tests or not have enough energy to keep up with training.

"Wait, wait you were planning this to help out Jaune? Why would he need help, beyond his current lack of skill in the first place?" Weiss asked despite her harsh words, this got the attention of the rest. They all looked at Ruby, or Pyrrha, to get some answers.

"Well, I wanted something the eight of us could do to have fun together, and Jaune's been so stressed out he's even fighting when he dreams. I mean fighting a black not Grimm thingy isn't exactly stress-free." Ruby answered and Jaune guessed that it might've been something like that.

"Um, it's not that big a deal if I had some really weird and vivid dreams which would be something that Nora would have when she eats Ren's pancakes before bed." That got everyone a bit curious, while Nora and Yang were escalating the food fight of sorts.

"Dreams vary, and some books suggest that they are more important then you realize. What is this dream you've been having today?" Blake asked as she was somewhat intrigued. She had read a book on the subject of dreams from time to time; it's possible there was some meaning behind the blond knight's dreams.

"Well, I guess it started like this..." Jaune started to retell his dream to the rest of them. The blonde and orange troublemakers also paying attention, but it didn't stop them from flinging fruits at each other.

**(Outside the Cafeteria)**

"I'm telling you Neptune, these guys are awesome. You're going to love meeting them!" An excited teenager spoke energetically to his friend as they walked around outside the Beacon Cafeteria.

The first guy is Sun Wukong, a monkey Faunus and friend/ally of Team RWBY. Faunus are a race of humanoid people who often had physical animal traits. Sun's trait is a long blond monkey tail, matching his short and spiky blond hair. The gray eyed teen was wearing his usual combat garb. Two red on black wrist bracers on his arms and an open white top with no shirt showing his tan and muscular abs. Interestingly; as a Faunus, Sun also had no belly button like humans would. Blue cargo pants and black and yellows sneakers completed his outfit along with a twisted gold necklace, white bandages around his legs, and chains hanging from the belt loops of his pants

"Dude, you said stuff like ten times since we've got here. I get it, they're cool. Especially that Blake girl you keep talking about." Neptune said back to his friend.

Neptune Vasilias, a Huntsman the same age as Sun and a member of the (self-proclaimed) Monkey King's Team. The messy undercut blue haired teen had a calm look on his face opposite of Sun's excited grin. Neptune's outfit was made up of a white dress shirt and black tie under a red jacket with upturned black collar, black fingerless gloves, gray jeans with black padding on the sides and also black shoes. On Neptune's forehead rested a pair of yellow tinted goggles.

"I can't help it man! We were fighting side by side and she was super-fast and I threw a banana at the guy, which sounds gross, but it was awesome!" Sun said, recalling his and Blake's battle against Torchwick.

"Nice!" Neptune said as they fist-bumped.

"Right? And the best part is she's a Faunus." Eyes widened as Sun caught his slip. "But that's a secret, okay?" Sun said seriously. "And I mean..."

"Right right, I won't tell Scarlet or tell Sage and have him tell Scarlet." Neptune joked around though he held his hands up in defense when he saw the blond's glare. "Chill out man, I got it." Neptune stopped their walk and reassured him. "I got it." He whispered.

"You better." Sun jabbed Neptune's chest until they heard something loud slammed against a nearby window. Though it didn't break, despite how the sound was.

"Did you hear anything?"

"Sounds like it came from the Cafeteria."

"Sweet, this place is looking fun already!"

The pair ran inside of the cafeteria, past a rushing stampede of students. Neptune and Sun would be the only two souls to bear witness to the greatest food fight to ever take place on Beacon's soil.

**(Beacon Academy – Arena)**

"I want to remind everyone here that these start-of-semester spars are just that. Spars that determine how much of a success your training at Beacon is and to see what fields you will need more improvement in."

Projecting her voice from the center of the arena is Glynda Goodwitch, another instructor and an important person in Beacon, second only to the Headmaster himself. Not one of the students knows her age, but guys and few girls agree that she was a beautiful woman. Fair skin and light blonde hair tied back in a bun except for a curl on the right side of her face. Her uniform is a white long-sleeved suit that exposes part of her chest, and puffy sleeves that tighten near the wrist. A black business skirt with buttons running up the front, lighter black-brown stockings, and black boots with brown heels. On top of that she wore a tattered cape that is purple inside and black on the outside, decorated by a row of diamond-shaped brown beads with her symbol, a tiara, above it. Teal earrings matched the small bead on her collar.

The arena as well as the room she and the other first years are in is the room used solely for sparring sessions and battles between teams. It was a class where the students learn the different ways of using their aura in combat as well as to test their techniques and hone their skills against new and familiar faces. Today's classes are one-on-one spars between teammates and now the two students were geared up to face each other.

"Do not worry, this is only a match." Pyrrha reassured Jaune as she got into a battle stance. Her weapon Miló in sword mode and her shield Akoúo̱ attached to her left arm. She had the utmost confidence that Jaune would give her an interesting fight since she began training him.

Jaune nodded and then assumed a more solid dueling stance. He drew his sword, Crocea Mors, and pulled out his sheath to change it to shield mode. He let out a small breath as he did his best to ignore all the people in the classroom watching him, most calling this an easy fight. Focusing solely on the girl in front of him, Jaune rushed forward to land the first attack.

As the two began their spar, Glynda noticed someone else had joined her in the faculty section of the arena.

"I didn't think you would want to watch this. Ms. Nikos always does exceptionally well in her spars, a much better win percentage than Mr. Arc." Glynda spoke to the new arrival as the two students continued clashing their swords. "I still do not see why you show any interest in his growth. He may have improved greatly than he when he arrived but he has ways to go."

"Mr. Arc may still be growing but all he has to do is look within himself to find his true potential." Professor Ozpin said looking down into the arena. Ozpin is the headmaster of Beacon Academy, he interviewed and checked through every applicant, accepting who he feels were the best.

"Beacon is only the door; it is up to him to provide the key." He said, causing his assistant's eyes to widen in surprise. Though before she could ask any more questions the cheering of the others students brought attention was brought back down to the battle. "Seems like Mr. Arc is surprising everyone today. Wouldn't you say Glynda?" Ozpin watched while sipping his mug of coffee.

Sparks flew as weapon met weapon, neither of the students giving an inch as they continued their deadly dance of steel. Crocea Mors bounced off Miló as the two students both kept on the offensive. Pyrrha blocked a feint to her left with her shield, her shocked look becoming a competitive grin. Normally, a fight like this would be easy for Pyrrha as she could easily control the flow with just her semblance alone. However, she decided against using that skill to see just how well Jaune has gotten in a fight. To say she was surprised is an understatement, weeks before Jaune would sloppily and recklessly swing his sword around, leaving his guard wide open. Now, it was almost frightening how different his style changed. The reckless rushes were stilled there but mixed in between feints, stabs and slices.

Recovering from the move, Pyrrha back up while switching her sword into a javelin. Pulling the trigger, she used the force of the shot to swiftly shoot forward towards Jaune's unguarded left. Jaune quickly held up his shield to block the thrust, deflecting it and pushing the red amazon back.

"You've gotten much better at holding your ground. That usually sends you flying." Pyrrha spoke some friendly banter.

"What can I say, I have a good teacher." Jaune smiled back and decided to try something new.

Swinging his shield, Jaune tried to strike with his sword only to meet with Akouo, Pyrrha's shield. Using Jaune's weight, Pyrrha caused him to stumble forward before attacking from behind. Panicking, Jaune recalled his dream and used the shield to swipe Pyrrha away, hitting her and causing her to move back in surprise. Long enough for Jaune to regain his footing and turn around.

"Whoa, I didn't think Jaune had it in him. He's definitely did better than he did last semester against Cardin." Yang said as she and the rest of RWBY and JNPR were watching their friends go at it from the student stands.

"True, but normally he would be outmatched. Pyrrha isn't using her Semblance at all. If she did it would be over quickly." Weiss commented, and while it was impressive to see him actually improve, he was still normally outclassed by the crimson haired huntress. "I wonder where he learned to fight like that, especially with a shield. I've never seen anyone use that as a weapon."

"Pyrrha's not using it for a reason. Maybe she wants everyone to see how much he's improved, how much stronger Jaune gotten since they became a team." Ruby suggested. A part of her couldn't believe this was the same Jaune that needed help to kill an Ursa Major. Now he could possibly be a match against Pyrrha or even her.

There were shrugs between Weiss and Yang as they watched the match continued on. Nora was cheering enthusiastically for both fighters while Ren watched was a calculated look on his face. Ruby and Blake were paying especially close attention to the blond's fight, for different reasons.

It was an impressive duel, but when it ended like everyone expected it to. A sweep to the legs by Pyrrha causes Jaune to land on his rear and before he knew it he had a javelin to his throat. It was practically an outcome that was known, but that didn't stop some of the students from clapping and cheering from the exciting match.

"You held back on purpose didn't you? Not using your semblance." Jaune asked as Pyrrha offered a hand to help him up. She just smiled for a moment before speaking.

"I wanted others to see how much you've improved. If I had used my Semblance, then they would have never seen the fruits of your labor. You really have improved Jaune." Pyrrha spoke sincerely, making Jaune smiled a bit in embarrassment. The knight still didn't quite have the confidence and that Pyrrha had, but he was getting there.

* * *

**(Jaune of Hearts)**

* * *

It was later in the at night as Jaune wandered outside the halls of Beacon, thinking about things such as the dream, and the fun impromptu food fight with team RWBY. He chuckled remembering how he wasn't much help in that fight, but his combat skills were definitely improving.

"I am getting better, but I still got a long way to go. Especially if I want to catch up to any of them."

Despite how the match and the food fight ended, Jaune still had a great time with his friends. However at the same time, it showed how much he needed to catch up if the little red leader of Team RWBY took all of them out with just her semblance alone. Before he knew it his walking had brought him out of the Academy and into the surrounding forests near Beacon. The reason why the blond was walking so aimlessly was to clear his head from the dreams he had been having lately. Pyrrha said they couldn't have training tonight, something must have popped up. Still this left an active knight walking around with nothing to do that night. Nora and Ren had quickly gone to sleep after a long day of Nora's madness and Pyrrha had gone off somewhere. Training doesn't go as well unless he had Pyrrha there to instruct him and observe.

A low crack sounded out into the forest, taking the blond from his thoughts.

"Was that...a gun shot?" Jaune ran quickly to where he heard the gun shot fire.

**(Scene Change)**

"Aw man… I guess I should've listened to Weiss when she told me not to mix up the dust in my bullet capsules." Ruby said as she inspected the sizable hole her sniper rifle left in the center of the tree...and the five others behind it. She looked down in depression as she took off the ruined silencer from Crescent Rose. Ruby had gotten into the habit of managing her dust ammunition along with her other equipment, buying new accessories from her sweetheart to use for different fights. She always used a silencer so as to not wake up other students or faculty or attract Grimm to her location, but now it looked like she needed a new one.

Mixing up dust rounds to get a bigger blast from her gun sounded better in her head.

"Good thing no one is around to see this. If Weiss found out I was messing with dust, again, she wouldn't let me never hear the end of it." Ruby sighed.

"Ruby?!"

"Gah!"

The surprise greeting caused the young Rose to fly into the trees, thanks to her semblance. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry Weiss! I'll never mix up dust, or take your binder, or leave my hood in your laundry again!" Ruby was cowering above in the rustling leaves, awaiting the lecture she thought she was going to hear from the angry Scnee.

"Uh, Ruby...what are you doing in a tree?"

"…"

Ruby blinked twice, hearing a familiar voice before dropping back down to the ground, her face red from embarrassment.

"Jaune! Ugh…you didn't...hear...any of that. Did you?" A pair of pleading puppy eyes followed the question.

Deciding to spare the girl, he decided to ignore her question. Teasing Ruby was almost like kicking a puppy, in his mind anyway. She was too cut and innocent to tease, unless you were Yang who knew how to push all of the redhead's buttons.

"I heard a shot fire all the way from Beacon. So I came to check it out." Jaune said, causing the girl's face to become even redder. "Ruby, what are you doing out here so late at night?"

"W-well...I was trying out some new dust combinations. You know, more firepower and extra kick for Crescent Rose, you know? Only, that was after..." Ruby stopped, as if debating with herself whether she should continue.

"You came all the way out here at night just to experiment with dust. I mean, you have one of the smartest dust users in the school as a partner. Why not ask Snow An, I mean Weiss?" Jaune asked.

The Scnee Dust Company are the number one suppliers of dust to all of Remnant, with Weiss being the heiress it would make more sense to ask her on how to efficiently use or mix dust together. Not to mention, Weiss' weapon uses dust as opposed to ammo so she would know much more about how to use it in a fight.

"I can't really say, but..." Ruby changed her weapon back so that she could attach it to her belt. She was debating whether to use her semblance to run or tell Jaune the truth. It's obvious he wouldn't let this go if she had left.

"If you promise not to tell anyone, I can show you why I came all the way out here." She offered.

Confused, Jaune nodded and Ruby decided to lead him away from the ruined trees.

"What happened to those…?"

"THOSE WERE LIKE THAT WHEN I GOT HERE?!"

**(Scene Change)**

"Your secret place?" Jaune asked as the two students walked through a cave. Lighting the way was Ruby with her flashlight.

"Yeah...well, it's more like me and Pyrrha's but she usually only comes here during the day." Ruby answered. "Nobody else knows about this cave, and it's totally Grimm free too." She stopped as she began to build up the suspense. "But the best part is what lies at the end of this place! The real secret!" Ruby said as she grabbed his hand and began leading him further in.

"Whoa, wait, Ruby stop for a sec! There's nothing special in a cave that we can't just take our time!" Jaune tried to reason with her. It was hard to keep up with a girl who could break mach speed whenever she wanted.

"Oh really?! Then what do you call this!" Ruby smirked and stopped and presented the cave interior to Jaune.

The blond caught his breath and began to look around. It was your normal cave, except the walls were decorated with various marks and doodles. He could tell who the artist was after his eyes passed by a "Ruby's Spot" carved into the wall. In the back of the cave wall, lied the most peculiar thing. A door. A normal room door leading into the wall with no doorknob or handle in sight.

"What's a door doing way in the middle of a cave?" Jaune couldn't help but point out the old fashioned wood door that was at the end of the secret spot. Ruby tilted her head to the side in curiosity and started to think.

"You know, I never really thought about it too much...maybe there's a reason for the door? Maybe like there's some sort of treasure or really cool weapon on the other side." Ruby mentioned and Jaune shook his head at his first friend. Ruby was a weapons geek, and she had a tendency to gush at any available weapon she can get her eyes on. She even admired Jaune's heirloom sword Crocea Mors when she first saw it, and mentioned that not many had an appreciation for the classics.

"I dunno, but there has to be a reason why the Grimm won't come here to begin with..." Jaune had a strange feeling about the door, especially since his dream mentioned a door. Was this the door the voice was talking about?

"Ruby have you tried to open it?" Jaune asked out of curiosity.

"I tried, but nothing works. There is no grip on it so you can't pull it so I tried to be creative. Dust, bullets, even Crescent Rose's blade couldn't pry it open." Ruby glared cutely at the door. How dare a piece a wood get the best of her weapon!

Jaune began to ponder and look around. Along with Ruby's doodles were other drawings, some looked familiar but he could tell Ruby didn't draw them. His eyes then fell on another set of drawings that he could tell was much older. Walking to the wall he brushed his hand against the drawings of a door and a key.

"Maybe this door was part of an old temple or ruin; it needs a key to open it I think." Jaune said.

"A key, you sure?" Ruby walked closer to look at the markings herself.

"Yeah look here, either we need an actual key or it's part of some clue."

"So there is treasure! Yang is going to be so jealous!" Ruby made a large grin in excitement. Jaune smiled next to her, her attitude was really contagious.

_**"This world has been connected."**_

A new voice caught the two completely by surprise, making Ruby drop the flashlight. They turned to see a strange man in a robe and hood. It was dark, and the hood was pulled over to completely obscure his face. From what little they could see, he was also hunched forward. It didn't feel like a Grimm, but the man felt unnatural.

"How, why are you here?" Ruby asked, hoping that the secret place wasn't discovered, and yet there was someone other than her, Jaune, and Pyrrha.

"_**I've come to see the door to this world."**_ The robed man spoke again. Always in an low monotone.

"What do you mean by that?" Jaune asked, more worried about what he meant.

_**"As I have said, this world has been connected. Tied to the darkness…"**_ That was unnerving, downright eerie that someone would say that. Ruby even thought of either going for her weapon, or even shying behind Jaune. _**"Soon to be completely eclipsed."**_

"That doesn't really answer my question." Jaune mentioned as the man seemed to focus on him and Ruby, but paid little heed, save for one more answer.

_**"You want an answer? How about I state a fact."**_ The stranger then continued. _**"There is much to know, but you two understand so little."**_

"Hold on…you said world…right?" Ruby, though still unnerved ask the man. "Does that mean…that there are more than one out there?"

"More than one? Ruby what are you talking about?" Jaune asked.

"_**So one of you is…enlightened."**_

"So I was right?!" Ruby moved from behind Jaune. "Are you from another world? How did you get here?"

"Ruby stop!"

Jaune's voice called the girl back to reality. The blond knight turned back to the man. "I don't know what's going on. What do you mean about other worlds?"

"It was in a book my Mom and Grandpa told me a long time ago. It said that every star in the sky is another world. That it is possibly for people to travel to see new and exciting worlds, way different than Remnant." Ruby explained. "But people always told me that was just fairy tale…but I know it has to be true. I want to see as many new worlds as I can."

Jaune was silent, listening to the younger huntress. His mind was trying to wrap his mind about different worlds; he could tell she meant more than other planets. Maybe it was…

"_**A meaningless effort." **_The man spoke finally, as if he too had stop to listen to what Ruby just said. _**"One, who knows nothing, can understand nothing."**_

As soon as he said that, the dark cave seemed to grow darker with every word. Jaune quickly picked up the flashlight and turned it on. Once the room had light again, the two students that saw that the mysterious man was now gone.

"Creepy…" Jaune said as he handed Ruby back her flashlight. "You know you have to tell me what you meant by other worlds right?"

Ruby nods her head, almost too tired and scared to speak. "Yeah, let's talk tomorrow during break. But right now…I just want to go back to my room."

Not arguing, Jaune let her lead the way out of the cave so that they could both return to Beacon. The two had no idea what that man meant by the door or the world being connected, but a shiver went down both their spines as they recalled his every word. It was a long night, they could think about it later after a full night's sleep.

* * *

**To be continued…**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: (See Ch. 1)**

** I will say that Wolfpackersson09 and I are surprised at how much attention and response the first chapter had. My hope is that every chapter will be perfect so that you all can enjoy more chapters in the future. So sit back and enjoy the show.**

* * *

Beacon Tower. A tower surmounted by numerous emerald green spheres of lights. At night these lights can be seen from vast distances away becoming beacons for the appropriately named academy. Inside the tower sat the headmaster in his office and with him a gathering of with the noted and his most trusted staff members. Many of them were former Huntsmen and Huntresses, people who Ozpin have fought beside and could trust with his life and they in turn trusted him, as an ally and a leader.

Professors Peter Port, Bartholomew Oobleck, and his must trusted member, Glynda Goodwitch are gathered in Ozpin's clockwork tower to discuss a coming incident. It was not because of the incident at the docks with Roman Torchwick and his benefactor or the recent activities of the White Fang that was the concern of this meeting, rather it was a letter. The contents of which were as thus:

_Dear Ozpin,_

_ Sorry that I haven't kept in touch for so long, but there's an urgent matter that I have to bring to your attention. _

_Stars have been blinking out one by one across the cosmos, and I've already gone ahead to investigate. _

_We both know that there's someone with a 'key', the key to our salvation. I'm asking if you could find the person with the key and help him or her out._

_Your friend, Mickey_

"This certainly seems to be quite the dilemma." Oobleck said in his natural hyper style while taking a sip of coffee from his thermos.

It was somewhat magically strange and almost impractical that the thermos that he uses repeatedly for his caffeinated drinks also served as his weapon of choice. However; his colleagues have long stopped questioning the sanities of their coworker years ago.

"Yes, I have noticed that there are fewer stars in the sky as of late, but what does this friend of yours mean by a key Ozpin?" Port was curious as the ones that seemed to have any greater knowledge of the matter were Glynda and Ozpin.

"Simply put that we must be prepared for an extreme worst-case scenario, something that if James were to hear of it he would insist on taking militant action. Such actions might be useless in the end and will do more harm than good." Ozpin answered looking over the note once more. He already had suspicions and the last thing anyone of them needed was Ironwood throwing Vale into military lockdown. Glynda was the only one of the group to have a faint understanding of what might be happening. Ozpin rarely uses the Door and Key analogy to refer to anyone unless they held a certain potential. Strength of heart that is needed for something great in the future.

"Should we not inform the students? If whatever this urgent matter is could affect Beacon Academy, we must prepare a proper evacuation plan. It is always best to be prepared from the worst case scenario." Oobleck spoke in a serious tone. It is true that Ironwood would have taken to military action, though the man always had the best intentions in mind. He simply went about them the extreme way.

"What is there to inform them? Even if we did, we don't have much evidence besides the stars blinking out. The words of the King are always trustworthy, but it would upset the world order if we reveal the source of our suspicions." Port reminded them of the other issue. A letter and stars wouldn't be enough to satisfy the students, much less the Council of the Four Kingdoms. The existence of the King is something known only to the few and enlightened people of Remnant.

"For now, we just go about our days. This threat could be around any corner, but then again so is war. This is no different than what we have seen, only new horizons and new foes. These odds are nothing we Huntsmen and Huntresses are unfamiliar with." Ozpin then turned out to his view of the courtyard. Watching below as the many students went about their day at Beacon. "An evacuation or call to arms will only bring about panic. Beacon exists as a place of light and safety. To quote a wise man, 'the light is always darkest at dawn before it gives rise to daybreak.'"

"Ansem the Wise, I know his work quite well. Do you think his research could prepare us for what may happen?" Oobleck asked.

"It could. It could not; what research still remains is minimal and fractured. All O will say to be on your guard. At the first sign of darkness, we prepare for the worst." Ozpin dismissed them, keeping his gaze at the courtyard as he does so.

Port and Oobleck, both experienced enough to know Ozpin decided to leave and prepare for their classes until they were called again. Glynda stayed a second longer before she also left the Headmaster alone. Said Headmaster continued his gaze while his hands fiddled with the letter from his good friend.

"It may be time to get Plan 'G' up and running."

(Scene Break)

"So you didn't tell anyone about our spot, did you?"

"Of course I didn't. A promise is a promise."

Jaune and Ruby could be seen walking through the open courtyard of Beacon. It was the weekend; so many students were out either goofing around or heading to spend the day back in Vale. Right now then two were talking about the cave from last night and the mysterious man from the other night who had mysteriously vanished.

"He called it the Door to this world, maybe that cave was part of some old ruins or something." Jaune offered his thoughts. It wasn't unusual to see remnants of the past, especially in places like the forest; they did fight a pair of Grimm in some ruins way back on their second day. It could've been an underground passage to a kingdom some odd years ago before the Grimm came and attacked. It could possibly be part of a cult; it was possible considering what the man was wearing.

"I don't know there was always something weird about that door that I couldn't put my finger on. Every time I get near it I get this weird, fuzzy, woogly feeling." Ruby tried to explain.

"Fuzzy, woogly?"

"Shut up!" Ruby shouted as she tried to get back on topic, embarrassingly cute blush aside.

"It's just that door has always felt weird to me, like it is part of something bigger. The first few days I found it I tried different ways to open it but nothing worked. I'm not the only one who's tried too." The hooded girl recalled.

That immediately got Jaune's attention away from her awkward vocabulary. "You mean Pyrrha has also tried to open that weird door?"

"Who wouldn't, a weird door in the middle of a cave? It could be a door to riches or ancient, super awesome weapons that everywhere you point it makes things explode! _BIP BIP, GLAOW GLAOW!_" Ruby has never showed her age and weapon-love more than how she was just now, shouting more sound effects from her pretend rifle.

"If I wasn't afraid of Yang babying me and telling me not to sneak out at night I would've asked her help to open it." Ruby admitted.

"Well that's a plan, why not ask someone to help with that door. I'm sure one punch from Yang or a hammer from Nora will be enough. Or Weiss, Blake, or Ren could find some clue in the cave on how to open it." Jaune continued to list off ways their friends could help the young red head.

"I know but...I always wanted a spot where I can just be myself. Away from homework, and lessons, and just be Ruby Rose, not just the Fearless Leader of Team RWBY. Just a place where I can just be myself you know." Ruby admitted to her first friend.

"Wow, that's deep. I wish I could've thought of finding my own spot on campus. That definitely must be the reason why you're always so focus and on top of being a leader. You're way smarter than me, that's for sure." Jaune complimented her.

"Well...since now you know where it is, you're free to use it whenever you want." Ruby offered with a smile.

Jaune smiled back, the girl's happiness definitely was contagious. The girl could brighten the gloomiest room, it also helped that her smile made her look even cuter…whoa, where did all of that come from? The knight kept on smiling until a hand snaked its way around his neck and pulled him into a hug.

"What's up Lady Killer, what were you two talking about?" Yang asked out of curiosity. The opportunity to tease both of them was a bonus.

"Nothing!" Ruby squeaked up, trying to make sure that the secret spot stayed a secret. The only ones that knew about it that she knew of are Ruby, Pyrrha, and now Jaune. It is a sanctuary of sorts for Ruby to just be herself. It also provided a secret place to make a workshop for weapons, but that was neither here nor there.

"We were…just going over some battle tactics for when the weekend is over, and classes start coming back in." Jaune wasn't the kind of person that liked telling lies. It was completely not chivalrous, but so was not keeping a promise. He promised Ruby not to tell long before running into Yang.

"Boring, I thought you were talking about some secret escapade into the night that would probably have dad coming down your necks." Yang joked causing the two to sweatdrop at the implication of what she meant. Suddenly she added, "You know, you two came back pretty late last night."

"L-Last night, what do you mean by that Yang?" Ruby asked, trying not to visually show her nervousness.

"Well, I woke up last night to do some stargazing when I happen to notice a certain someone in a red cape walking out and then back into Beacon. You don't need to be a Faunus to spot a bright red hood at night." Yang smirked.

"Hey, don't make fun of the hood!" Ruby shot back, cradling her cape as she would Crescent Rose.

"Uh, you really go stargazing Yang?" Jaune tried to move the topic away from them.

"Is it that unusual? It's just a small hobby of mine." Yang admitted. "Anyway, I was doing some stargazing and I think there's few stars in the sky then there were before."

"Speaking of stars, I just remembered a really weird legend." Nora suddenly came up out of nowhere. Ren, Blake, and Weiss were well behind her.

The hyperactive Valkyrie smiled wide before she continued on, "It's a legend of a star-shaped fruit called the Paopu Fruit! The legend goes that if two people share it, then their destinies become intertwined and they stay together forever, and ever, and ever." Thankfully, Ren managed to get her with a well-placed hand over her mouth. The gang waited a moment to see if Ren had anything to say about the story, like if Nora got it wrong or the details got mixed up as usual.

"It's a very well-known legend where we live, Nora has the details right…except when she trails on." He then moved his hand from the now smiling Nora.

"I never read about a legend like that, and I know most of them from my older books." Blake said, reading a book that wasn't Ninjas of Love, but Jaune wound up thinking about the dream and still wondered if the Belladonna really did like reading that series.

"It is weird, but I know the legend that she is talking about. Not only do they say that, but also it is really rare to find once since the tree they grow on can only be found in one place." Ren explained as well.

"Destiny Island!" Nora chimed in.

"So why is this the first time any of us have heard about these fruits before?" Weiss asked. Vale was one thing, but she's never heard mention of this legend back home all the way in Atlas. It was unlikely such a thing was be so unheard of. Some love-struck couples would have surely tried to prove if it was true or not. "So where is this island?"

"No one knows." Nora answered ominously.

"The island in the legend apparently doesn't match any island found in Remnant; so most people assume that it doesn't exist. So the legend faded into obscurity." Ren clarified.

"You said most people." Blake caught, now fully interested in the story. This was her first time hearing about such a story and she herself has read countless of older books when she had the chance. "So maybe the legend is based on fact."

"Hello, are we forgetting that these two came back late in the night and they're not telling us anything?" Yang pointed the topic back to the two sweating students. "Come on guys, can't you see they're obviously hiding something?"

"We're not really hiding anything." Jaune said, and it wasn't really something anyone since he was sometimes a terrible liar when face to face.

"We were just walking to clear our heads and just happened to bump into each other." Ruby added. Of course Yang was still suspicious, and decided to strangely enough sniff the two.

"Are you trying to be a dog?" Weiss asked, unsure of what was going on.

"Ooh, maybe she's trying to smell naughty stuff." Nora suggested and that caused most of the group to blush, especially the two getting the Xiao Long Bloodhound treatment.

"Nora and Yang aside" Blake made an attempt to avoid making the situation more awkward by changing the subject. "Since no one's brought it up yet I will, Jaune where did you learn how to fight like that?" The cat Faunus asked.

"Fight like what?" Jaune asked.

"Ooh Ooh, you mean when Jaune swung at Pyrrha with his shield?" Nora guessed. She too, as well as the others were also impressed by the new and daring tactics the blonde used in his spar with the Invincible Girl. Beacon, as well as the rest of the four kingdoms, was filled with many unique weapons and fighting styles. Yet, it wasn't often that someone tried to use a shield for offense in combat besides blocking claws or bullets.

Weiss nodded her head in agreement. "I would like to know that too. I mean, it's not like I was impressed with your performance or anything but it's the first time I've seen anyone dual wield a sword and shield combination like that. Did you find it in a book, or maybe someone taught you the style?"

"Um, actually it just came to me in a dream. The one with the not Grimm monsters..." Jaune answered honestly and that was just got stares from Weiss, who couldn't believe it.

"You mean to say, that you thought of using your shield as an offensive weapon, from a dream that you said was something Nora would dream up when on a sugary pancake high?" The heiress asked as Jaune nodded. She just couldn't believe that someone would get inspiration for an unusual maneuver from a dream of all places. It was just...she couldn't think of anything to describe how ridiculous it sounded, no matter how effective it proved. The fact that Jaune was able to use that strategy so well in his fight proves that…right?

"Never know when inspiration can strike right?" Jaune joked, but then he remembered something. That something was what he and Ruby were planning on doing before getting caught by Yang. With the group's interest now on the shield, he was able to sneak to his accomplice.

"Weren't we looking for Pyrrha so you can tell us that story?" He whispered to the red rose leader of team RWBY, and she gasped almost forgetting that from Yang showing up.

"Oh yeah..." Ruby nodded back to Jaune before steering the conversation away from where it was now. For some reason Nora was on about making a giant pancake and using it as a shield; it's amazing what they miss when they leave their friends alone.

"Hey, has anyone seen Pyrrha? I haven't seen her at all today." Ruby asked.

"I didn't even see Pyrrha after we got back to the door...now's not the time for jokes Yang." Jaune stopped his fellow blond before she brought up the late night return. "And now she didn't even show up to eat breakfast with us." Jaune brought up. He didn't know what kind of meeting Pyrrha went to, but it shouldn't have taken more than an afternoon shouldn't it?

"Pyrrha left sometime this morning, she didn't want to wake you. She told me that she was going to train and will eat breakfast later." Ren answered. Next to Pyrrha, Ren woke up the earliest of his time. He could blame that on lack of sleep, but he was naturally tired. If not for his morning tai chi, it was to make breakfast for team JNPR. He didn't mind Pancake Saturdays and it was always a joy seeing others enjoy his cooking.

"Whatever that meeting was, it must have stressed Pyrrha out if she had to train early in the morning." Jaune spoke aloud as he tried to think.

"Well before I bumped into Ruby, I was talking to Pyrrha..."

"First my baby sister and now Pyrrha, I don't know if I should be offended or impressed that you work so fast." Yang quipped in. Sometimes she couldn't help herself.

"Goddammit Yang" Blake face palmed.

"Pyrrha said she had a meeting last night. I wonder what it's about." Jaune clarified.

"If you want, we can split up and look for her." Yang offered.

"Really, you don't mind?" Jaune asked in surprise.

"Sure, besides Weiss and I were going to go for a ride. Looking for Pyrrha would give up a good excuse to go on a tour through campus." Yang smiled.

"We are?!" The Schnee heiress asked.

"You're the only one on Team RWBY who hasn't experienced the joys of the Bumblebee. Now come on, it's not every day that I offer anyone a ride on my baby." The yellow dragon grabbed the snowflake before walking off in a different direction from the group.

The heiress had no choice as she dragged along and Blake just shook her head had her teammate and partner's antics, but she might as well try to keep Yang out of trouble...hopefully.

"Oh, maybe we can check there?" Ruby whispered to the knight and Jaune wasn't sure what there was, but he could guess the secret spot that the red leader and the gladiator frequented when they weren't busy. That's when the red leader just dragged him off, with him hoping that his arm stays attached as they vanished with rose petals falling behind.

(Scene Break)

In one of the rooms, Ozpin sat in his office with Glynda near his side, and they were waiting on something, or rather someone. Professor Oobleck just entered in his usual manner, but he was still worried about the precautions, if the projected worst case would happen.

"I just completed some routine work on the ships, and they are ready to go at a moment's notice." He said with his fast-paced talk, but Ozpin nodded, knowing that using the ships may be the only hope left.

(Scene Break)

Ruby and Jaune made it to the secret spot, and saw Pyrrha just looking at the door.

"Hey Pyrrha!" Ruby said as Jaune tried to catch his breath, and it was harder to keep up while being dragged along.

"Ruby...Jaune?!" Pyrrha greeted the two but was genuinely surprised when she saw another person in the Red Heads' Secret Place. The Invincible Girl allowed her partner to regain his composure before asking him how he knew about the cave and why he was there.

"Oh, I found Ruby and this place the other night after...you know." Jaune quickly explained before remembering the reason why they were here. "Oh yeah, Pyrrha where have you been? You've been gone for a while so we all split up and looked for you."

"We?"

"Team RWBY and Team JNPR." Ruby answered before she pulled out her Scroll. Scrolls are collapsible tablets offered to the students of Beacon. It had many functions, but one of them was communication between teammates and other students. "I'm telling everyone we found Pyrrha, so we don't have to worry about anyone finding us."

"Sure they're ok with that, they're not going to search for us are they?" Jaune asked.

"No...Although Weiss might be mad for having to ride with Yang the Speed Demon." Ruby spoke as a bead of sweat dropped when she read the angry reply she got from Weiss.

"Ok, so since I know all about this Secret Spot...Ruby, what did you mean last night when you were talking about different worlds?" Jaune asked.

"Different worlds, so you've told him?" Pyrrha asked, surprising Jaune even further. "Ruby and I chat often when we meet up here. You can think of it as girl time for the red team."

"Red team...?"

"Anyway, we would talk about some of the gossip and stories that we know and heard of. Imagine my surprise when I found out I'm not the only one who has heard the legends of the many worlds." Pyrrha continued. The stories were always Pyrrha's favorite growing up back in Sanctum.

"I'm still lost on the many worlds bit. Can I hear the story now?" Jaune said as Ruby rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

"Oh, right. Well the story goes that once there was a single world that bathed in light, but people started to awaken to darkness and many different groups wanted to control the light for themselves. One day, the darkness became so great that it seemed to consume the light and turned the one world into many different worlds. Each one possessing a light in the darkness, and the light shines in the darkness. Those lights are seen as stars, and those stars remind us that no matter how deep the darkness, there's always a light that never goes out. At least, that's how...my mother said it, grandpa too." Ruby spoke the story and it was something for Jaune to think about. It was a simple story, but one that seemed to have a deep meaning.

"Wow, so each star is a world?" Jaune asked as Ruby nodded.

"Yep. It would be cool to see those other worlds out there, and maybe some of the stories about those worlds made it here, like that Paopu fruit legend."

"Oh, I know about that legend." Pyrrha added to Ruby's statement about the other worlds, and the Paopu Fruit legend.

"Nora was just talking about that legend earlier too. So some of those stories ended up in Vale too?" Jaune asked.

"The worlds were once one world before separating. So it shouldn't be a surprise that stories like that ended up here. It was said that Remnant was a world of darkness before dust was used to light the way and create the four kingdoms." Pyrrha walked a place a hand against the door. "So many stories about many different places and things, I know little compared to the things Ruby has heard."

"Grandpa liked to talk about the other worlds when he visits. It's one of the reasons why I barely see, he always told me that he was off to another world. I always did like his stories, it was one of the reasons I became a huntress." Ruby said, her eyes sparkling when she thought of the memories of her grandfather. "By the way Pyrrha, did you know that door is...?"

"The door to this world? It was written in code on the walls when I first found this cave." Pyrrha answered her. "How did you two find out?"

"A weird creepy guy in a robe told us." Jaune said.

(Scene Break)

"A man in a robe?" Glynda asked as she stood with Ozpin along a walkway. Said Headmaster was looking down from the railing to see the work that was being done.

"Yes, he's been sited around the forests around Beacon. That is not a good sign; it means he is close to discovering the door of this world." Ozpin explained. "If Remnant is truly connected, then we will have to have this project ready to go within moments." The headmaster pointed out the array of ships being maintained by other Beacon staff members.

"I understand that this man is a threat, but is he really a threat on a world level. This project is only for the event..."

"The event of the end of the world; and both Qrow and Ironwood agree with me that the time may be closer than we originally thought. Especially with that man running around if the message from the King tells us anything." Ozpin and Glynda then moved down the pathway.

(Scene Break)

"So a man in a robe told you about this door?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yeah, he was really creepy too. Talked about how 'this world has been connected, tied to darkness and...to be completely eclipsed.'" Ruby said with a bit of worry.

"That..." Pyrrha said but didn't want to think about what it could mean. Jaune finished the thought for her.

"Could he possibly mean that, Remnant could be destroyed." Jaune began to pale a bit at the possibility of the entire world could be destroyed. That thought was worrying enough, but how would be the big question.

"If he's planning on destroying the world, shouldn't we tell someone?" Jaune asked, but Pyrrha shook her head.

"I'm...not sure. Would anyone believe the three of us that there is someone who is planning on destroying the world through some unknown means?" That was incredibly good argument.

"Right, but at least if things go bad, we meet up back here. Maybe we can figure out what he's doing if we can get the door open." Ruby suggested, but the clues were still vague at least. Jaune checked his scroll and noticed the time.

"Yeah. Let's agree to meet back up here, but we still have class." The girls agreed, and all three decided to leave the secret spot. Pyrrha, before moving on, took one last look at the door, but decided to move on with the rest. Never seeing that for a few moments, there was a large keyhole on the door.

(Scene Break)

"So did you remember to ask why Pyrrha was gone for most of the morning? She usually isn't one to make her teammates worry." Blake said as she sat across from Jaune in the library. Classes had gone on as they usually did and the feline Faunus found herself alone with the blonde Arc studying.

Pyrrha may be the cause of Jaune's physical boon, but the knight definitely owes some of his passing grades due to studying with reclusive member of Team RWBY. Pyrrha was already training with him so he didn't want to burden her more and Ren and Nora had different classes this period. That left him with Weiss, Velvet, or Blake to ask for help in history. As much as he wanted a study session with the snow angel but he knew she would decline and the rabbit Faunus was gone with her team, which led him to asking (begging) Blake to be his tutor.

Jaune nodded his head. "She said that she receives a call from someone she knew from Mistral and she said that the time must have got away from her. Anyway, no harm done, she didn't mean to worry anyone." The blonde explained as followed Blake's example and wrote down notes from their textbook.

"I see. Well, hopefully this doesn't affect your training." Blake said, shocking Jaune.

"How did you know?" Right after Jaune asked; Blake gave him an 'Are you serious' look before twitching her ears from underneath her bow.

"I think you know by now that I have very good hearing."

"Ehehe...sorry."

Blake waved off the apology. "Don't be. Anything else is better than the usual noises in our room." She said with a smile on her face. "Anyway, the spar shows that you have definitely improved since fighting Cardin. To be honest, I would like to see how well you are in a fight against me."

Jaune just scratched his head sheepishly for a bit.

"Well, I don't think I'm quite ready to take you on in a fight, and I don't think sparring without permission is a good idea." Jaune mentioned, and Blake simply accepted the reason, for now. She wanted to see how much he improved for herself, even if he was using a ranged weapon only.

"Maybe so, but that doesn't mean that it won't be unauthorized forever. The Vytal Festival Tournament is coming up, and many Huntsman and Huntresses in training would be competing, you could possibly be one of those competitors." Blake said, getting the blonde knight to sigh, wishing he was confident enough to actually compete. Even though his confidence did rise, he still doubted a lot of his abilities. Jaune did try to exude an air of confidence, even if it was faked from him trying too hard.

"I know. But right now I could go for some Sea Salt ice cream." Jaune joked a bit, but that seemed to get the feline Faunus' attention, if the slight twitching of her ears were anything to go on.

"Sea Salt ice cream?" She asked curiously, but not in the way that indicated that she didn't know the flavor, even if Jaune didn't quite catch the tone.

"I know it's a weird flavor, but it's good in that different sort of way. It's salty..."

"..But sweet." Blake finished, surprising Jaune about it. Not many knew of the flavor itself, some preferring more traditional flavors, Ruby loving Strawberry flavor naturally, Weiss preferring Vanilla, and the only ones Jaune wasn't sure of were Blake, Yang, and Pyrrha.

"You know the flavor?"

"Not many do, but it's a nice flavor from time to time." Blake answered, before they got back to studying, as the sun started to set.

"It is. I used to have it all the time back home. That is, until I came to Beacon anyway. It's really hard to find anywhere else." Jaune said. "I'm surprised you like ice cream Blake, considering you're um..."

"I'll admit I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but sea salt ice cream is an exception. It was a found childhood treat of mine." Blake said cryptically. "Back to you fighting in the tournament, if you brush up your skills and use surprises like you did yesterday you'll be fine. How have you been doing with finding your semblance?"

Jaune then slump down with a sigh. "Still nothing...thanks for giving me those books though, they've really been helping me out." He admitted. As disadvantages as Jaune already was, he knew that he was behind everyone since he didn't know his semblance. His only clue was what happened with Cardin and he wasn't found of repeating that experience. "I'm still at square one."

"I'm sorry that I couldn't do much to help or give you much advice." Blake said sadly. The cat Faunus wasn't around during the Cardin incident so Jaune told her all that happened. From what she could figure out, his semblance was different from hers. Jaune had better chances asking his father to see if his semblance was hereditary.

"The only thing that I can think of with what you told me, is that your semblance may be centered around protection and healing, like a shield." Blake suggested, and that was something to think about, did he choose the shield in his dream because it might have been connected to his semblance, or was the shield simply a natural part of his semblance and would have been chosen either way? Before Jaune could think too deeply about he noticed the time.

"Wow, it's that late already?" He asked as he checked his scroll for the time. Blake also checked and noticed that something was wrong.

"It is noon, but it's not supposed to be this dark. Not yet." Blake said as they suddenly heard screaming and went to investigate. As soon as the two stepped out, they noticed that the sky was dark, and quickly turning into night. Not only that, but there was also a great sphere of multi-colored blackness that was high in the sky, sucking in everything it could.

"It might be noon but that definitely isn't the sun!" Jaune said, feeling dread every second he stared at the giant sphere in the sky. The two students were then shocked out of their staring by a sudden announcement.

"All students grab your weapons and gear and report to the airship hangers at once! I repeat..."

"The hangers, why? Are they trying to evacuate everyone?!" Jaune asked. Blake and him grabbing their respective weapons and running at the library's doors.

"Maybe it's an invasion? But who would have the guts and the manpower to attack a school of huntsmen?" Blake asked as the two made their way outside. As she asked the question her thoughts drifted to the White Fang but even they wouldn't try something as risky as attacking a school that had Faunus within their walls as well. Even with people like Torchwick working with them, they still wouldn't take the chance without expecting severe retaliation. Blake stopped thinking as she saw Jaune hold out his arm, stopping their run.

"Jaune, what are you doing? Ozpin said..."

"It's them."

Just as Jaune described to her earlier before, small shadow creatures were scampering all around Beacon. From the cafeteria, to the roofs, even Ozpin's office these creatures could be seen crawling or slinking across the ground, attack several of the students as they made attempts to escape. Several of the students, proceeded to attack back, hoping to thin out the overwhelming numbers.

"It's those shadow things from my dream!" Jaune said as he and Blake both unsheathed their weapons.

"I'll never doubt your dreams again." Blake quickly grabbed the pistol of her Gambol Shroud and fired several dust bullets at the shadows. As he shouts stunned them, Jaune went in for the kill with his sword, swiping clean through them.

"I was able to beat them with a shield in my dreams. Now with Crocea Mors it makes things much easier." Jaune said as he used his shield to knock away several of the jumping shadows.

"It looks like dust can kill them too, but we're not going to last long without extra supplies. Jaune we have to do what the announcement said and get to the airships!" Blake said as fired some more to clear the way for her and Jaune.

'But where did they come fro...the door!' Jaune thought as he once again stopped his run. He ran off in the direction of the forest, confusing Blake.

"Jaune...!"

"Head to the airships Blake, I have to check on something! It's important and it might stop these things!" Jaune then continued his run towards the secret cave.

(Scene Break)

Jaune was running towards the secret spot and the door. That is where he planned to meet up with Pyrrha and Ruby, dodging as many of the shadowy creatures as he could as they swarmed through the school. He had to find them, and he suddenly noticed that his dodging led him to the courtyard, the one with the statue of a Huntsman killing a Grimm, and that was where he saw Pyrrha just standing there looking at the sky. Worry, and yet, excitement was on her face.

"Pyrrha, we have to get Ruby and go!" Jaune said, but she continued looking at the dark sphere.

"The door is open." She said calmly, and Jaune was confused.

"What do you mean?"

"The door is open. We can go to the outside world. Let's go together, just the two of us!"

Jaune took a step back in shock. "But what about everyone else?!"

"They'll be with us, I promise!" Pyrrha shouted back, a look of determination set on her face. "The door to the other worlds has opened; all we need to do is take the first step!"

"Pyrrha!"

"I'm not afraid of the darkness!" She said as she looked towards Jaune, answering the question in a strange way and held out her hand.

Jaune was about to take it, and he thought she was in somewhat of a trance when she spoke, but pulled back when he saw the pool of darkness began to gather around her feet. "Don't be afraid Jaune." She added gently and Jaune didn't know what to say, but he did know that he had to get her out of that darkness. The more he reached for her then more it dragged him down, trying to cocoon them both in shadows. Everything faded to black...until a flash of light came and dispelled the darkness. Jaune fell over, but noticed that Crocea Mors was missing in his hand.

"Where...what's this?" He asked as he noticed he was now holding a Key-shaped sword. The blade looked like it was silver with a crown-like tooth at the end, with two of the edges of the crown being rounded, a golden square hilt-guard, and what looked like a keychain attached to the bottom of the hilt like a tassel.

_Keyblade...Kingdom Key_

"That was the voice from my dream!" Jaune realized as it spoke again.

_Keyblade...Kingdom Key._

The voice stopped, just as more of those shadowy monsters came. One of them leaped at Jaune, and he guarded the attack with the keyblade. This time, the key made contact and struck the enemy.

The monster exploded into black dust, just like in his dream, after it hit the steel of the key. Somehow, magically used to his new weapon, Jaune began his attack and tore through the waves of heartless. As he slowly cleared the way, he quickly ran from the statue and into the forest before anymore could spawn and stand in his way. He didn't know what happened to Pyrrha or even Ruby for that matter, but he knew for some reason that the answers would lie with the door.

(Scene Break)

"What do you mean, you expect me to just wait here?! My team, my friends are out there fighting these things and you just want me to wait in one of these things?!" Blake glared harshly at the headmaster. As she did, her sensitive ears could easily pick up the sounds of dust, bullets, and cutting sounds from various students and weapons. Somehow the hangar was safe from the creatures getting in, but teachers and students alike took out arms just outside so that more could make in inside.

"Because given the situation it is better to wait for your teammates to arrive than to go on a fool's errand looking for them." Ozpin said.

"Yang and Weiss are on the other side of Beacon! And Jaune went off somewhere?! I can't even contact Ruby and Nora and Ren can't with Pyrrha either!" My friends need me..." Blake would've used her semblance to pass by had Ozpin not block her path with his weapon.

"Blake, your dedication to your friends is admirable and in any other situation I would allow you to go after them. However; this is no normal attack as you surely saw that giant sphere in the sky." Ozpin then gestured to the symbol of destruction that seemed to be getting closer, now sucking in parts of Remnant around them.

"At most we have about ten minutes to safely evacuate all the people in Beacon. I am tasked with saving as many people as I can. You can see I'm not in the mood to risk one student to save four."

"But Professor...!"

"Professor Goodwitch has Ms. Schnee and Ms. Xiao Long's locations on her scroll and is going to retrieve them." Ozpin said, relieving her a bit. "As for Mr. Arc, Ms. Rose, and Ms. Nikos...only time will tell. However I can guarantee you they will be fine."

Blake continued to listen but her will was still adamant to help her friends. "You say that but it looks like the end of the world out there! How are you so sure that they will be all right?!"

"I believe Mr. Arc now has the key."

Those words shocked Blake as the cryptic Headmaster looked to her with a serious expression. "Ms. Belladonna, what I am about to tell you has been a closely kept secret, not from this world but from many others as well. Let me explain to you what is happening and then send you on your way."

(Scene Break)

"These things just keep coming!" Yang said as she drove through another stack of creatures. She slowed down her bike to fire a few dust rounds from her gauntlets, clearing a road for her and Weiss. Said heiress was using dust and her semblance to help the yellow dragon with crowd control. "Have you managed to reach Ruby?!"

"I've been trying and she's not picking up! Even she isn't this irresponsible!" Weiss yelled over the roar of Bumblebee. The drive had taken them away from Beacon when all of this was happening, however a quick message on their scroll informed them of the situation and where they needed to go. Now they were trying to find the missing half of Team RWBY.

"Blake is already at the hangar, but there is no way I'm leaving my baby sister behind in all of this!" Yang yelled back.

"I'm not disagreeing with you, but we need to find her before that thing in the sky hits Beacon in ten minutes! Where is Ruby?! She better not be trying to play hero somewhere during all of this!" As insulting as that sounded, Weiss didn't want anything to happen to her first partner and friend since coming to Beacon.

"If she is...shit!" Yang quickly hit the breaks to stop the motorcycle as cracks appeared on the ground. She was lucky to have stopped as a large chunk of the ground was lifting up in front of them towards the swirling vortex in the sky. "We have to go around now!"

"Is that thing a black hole, it's just pulling in everything around it!" Weiss said in disbelief. How they were still on the ground yet the vortex was powerful enough now to pull pieces of Remnant up into the sky.

"Now is not the time for questions." Before Yang could steer her bike the two of them were covered in a pink aura and were lifted off the ground. The two looked up and saw Glynda Goodwitch looking down at them from an airship, a ship that they have never seen before. "The message called for an immediate evacuation. Once I found out you two were so far away I was sent to retrieve you and any other wayward students."

"You can get Ice Queen (Hey!) To the hangers, but I'm not leaving without my baby sister!" Yang almost shouted, and Weiss ignored the seeming insult from the yellow dragon. Goodwitch, however, did not have the same sentiments.

"I am not giving you a choice in the matter. I do believe that if you have faith, you will see your younger sister again." Glynda waved the riding crop, and Weiss didn't recognize what happened as the two members of team RWBY were engulfed in a light and were teleported away.

With Team RWBY safe, Glynda then turned to look up at the cataclysm in the sky.

(Scene Break)

Jaune managed to make it back to the cave and reach the end. He knew Ruby would be waiting for him. He didn't know what happened to Pyrrha, because she had just vanished. However he wasn't going to lose his first friend in Beacon, the little red leader that can break Mach speed. He reached the inner sanctum of the cave and found the girl.

"Ruby!" He called out, but something felt off. She wasn't acting normal, as if something was missing as she turned around and reached to him.

"Jaune..." As all she said before the door behind her burst open. A wave of darkness flowed from the door and thrust Ruby towards him, and Jaune tried to catch her, to keep her safe. When she came right to him, she vanished. As if she wasn't there, and the force of the darkness threw him harshly out of the cave.

"Aaaaah!"

As quickly as it had happen, his flight came to an end as he landed hard on the ground. Using his new keyblade as a crutch Jaune slowly made his way back to his feet. Looking around he saw his shield lingering on the edge next to a cliff. Running to retrieve what was left of his original weapon he quickly grabbed it without falling over the cliff. Looking down Jaune quickly discovered that his stretch of land was actually floating in the air.

"This can't possibly get any worse." Jaune complained as he turned around and looked up at the vortex in the sky.

As if to remind him of Murphy's Law, rising from the ground was a familiar figure. Scared, Jaune took a step back only to feel nothing but empty air behind him. It was almost like the platforms from his dream. Also from his dreams was the gigantic shadow monster he had fought before, the heart shaped hole in its chest was a very familiar site.

_**HEARTLESS: Darkside**_

"First those little bug things and now you. Guess that wasn't a dream." Jaune whispered as his grip tightened on his two weapons. "You know what? I don't have time to be afraid of you!" He spoke with renewed vigor.

"I'm going to knock you out of the way and find Pyrrha, Ruby, and everyone else!" Jaune declared as he took his stance. Instead of hiding behind his shield it was behind him as he pointed his keyblade at the giant.

The creature let out a low groan as if accepting the blonde's challenge. It slammed it's fist down only for Jaune to sidestep and slash causing wisps of black smoke to fly out it's wounded hand. Reeling its fist back, it's ominous, glowing yellow eyes stared down at the knight.

* * *

_(Jaune vs. Darkside ost – Persona Q: Laser Beam)_

* * *

Gathering up a sinister feeling aura, the colossal shadow lied down on his knees and began to concentrate energy around its chest. It's empty heart-shaped void began to glow as the creature continued to build up power.

'Just relax Jaune; you've fought this thing before.' Jaune readied himself, not willing to move from his spot.

As the blonde predicted, the creature began to fire waves of energy from it's chest. Jaune, ready and prepared, with two swings he sent the first two balls into the ground around him but on the third attack he swung the keyblade in a way that redirected it back at the creature's head. Before the knight could celebrate it suddenly fired five balls of energy at once.

"Crap!" Quickly he brought up his shield, Jaune allowed the metal wall to absorb the brunt of the attack. The feeling of safety vanished as colossal fist slammed into the shield, knocking June a good distance away and separating him from his shield.

Clearing the cobwebs from his head Jaune quickly got back to his feet. "Right, this is different from fighting Ursa." Now with both hands gripping the keyblade, Jaune rolled under the fist that then planted itself into the ground.

"Ha! You miss…whoa!"

Quickly dodging a smaller shadow creature, Jaune looked and saw a large shadow pooling around the giant fist and a horde of the shadows crawling from out of it. Two more jumped into the air trying to claw at the blonde only to meet the flat end of the keyblade. Turning them into dust, he quickly saw the hand beginning to rise from the pool of darkness.

"Oh no you don't!" Using a smaller shadow as a stepping stone, the blonde knight ran up the length of its arm to make it to the head.

'You can kill Grim quicker by aiming for their vitals like their head. It's what we learned in Professor's Port's class. Maybe it will work on these things too.'

Taking his lessons to heart, he aimed for the bandage covered head. A few swipes of the keyblade caused more black mist to rise from its head, making the creature lurch back it what looked like pain. The creature suddenly shook, knocking Jaune off its shoulder and back down to earth. At least he landed on his legs. Jaune leaped back as he saw it raise another hand.

'That's right, keep that up.' Jaune planned out in his head. The more it tried to overwhelm him with the smaller monsters, the easier it is to get to its head. It was his only shot at major damage since he didn't want to waste time slashing at its wrists.

The monster did exactly what Jaune thought it would do, however; instead of just its fist the whole arm sunk into the pool of darkness it created. Slowly it stood back into it's feet, surprising Jaune as it came out with a swirling sphere of destruction in it's hand. It looked almost like the vortex that loomed above the battlefield. Ready to move at any time, the knight watched as the giant launched the sphere up into the air. Colliding with the vortex, it began to rain smaller spheres of darkness down around them.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me?!" Jaune moved, not wanting to get hit by the destructive rain.

Satisfied with the distance the blonde gave him the creature got ready to fire another volley at the distracted knight. Quickly it took aim at the runaway blonde.

"Shit! Shit! Shit! SHIT!"

Added to the falling rain of destruction, Jaune now had to deal with the balls of darkness now aimed at his person. Quickly dodging another blast, the blonde ducked behind a nearby boulder so that it may serve as his makeshift shield. Jaune just pulled out his Scroll and began using the camera to view the giant still firing its energy at him. Putting the Scroll away, Jaune tried to plan out his next move. The boulder wouldn't last forever and his shield was missing somewhere in the chaos. It was only by pure luck that the spheres falling from the sky have not homed in on him and finished him off. The sounds of explosions and the subtle cracking of the rock ended allowing Jaune to quickly peak and see what was happening.

A distance away the colossal creature had balled up its fist and sunk it into the ground to prepare another storm to unleash onto the hiding blonde.

"Oh no you don't!" Abandoning safety, Jaune took a page from another blond he knew and ran to attack the head as it laid vulnerable on the ground.

Reeling back from the sudden attack, the creature began to stand bringing with him another ball of energy. Quickly, Jaune made a bold move and grabbed onto one of the bandages around the creature's face so that he could remain close to its weak spot. Keeping his tight grip, Jaune then turned to stare at the large eye staring back again, giving him a clear target as he thrusts the keyblade into the massive eye. Suddenly, a bright light shot out from the stab wound causing Jaune to lose his grip and fall.

"Oof!" Jaune landed on his face as he looked at the frozen giant. Light still glowing causing sparks to flay around its face. As he got up he almost fell again as the floating island began to shake and crumble around him. Looking up Jaune saw that during the fight they have been inching closer and closer, and was now nearing the massive vortex as it descended onto Beacon.

The giant limped back and floated into the air, vanishing into the black abyss in the sky. Jaune in the meanwhile was gripping a nearby rock as hard as he could, struggling to resist the massive gravitational pull towards destruction.

Slowly his grip failed. Three fingers. Two fingers. One…

"Aaaaaaaaah!" Jaune cried out as he floated away.

And much like his dream, everything went black.

* * *

**To be continued…**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: (See chapter 1)**

** Hello everyone, this is Shadowlight0982 with the next chapter. This was ready for a while but some health and tech problems have forced this chapter to be delayed. But enough excuses, you waited long enough and I hope you all can enjoy the new chapter.**

* * *

The town that the two Huntresses in training arrived in was very different than other towns in Remnant. Traverse Town, the name of their location, was less advanced than the city of Vale. Stores were brightened by lanterns, light bulbs, and electricity instead of the traditional dust powered generators. There were no paved roads and not a single vehicle was in sight, only stone walkways as far as the two could see. No virtual rails or traffic lights anywhere in the city either, only traditional street lights lit the perpetually night sky.

Traverse Town's newest arrivals, Yang and Weiss, appear in the center of the plaza after being dropped off by Professor Goodwitch. After receiving their newest mission from the Huntress, they were immediately sent to this new world. The two Huntresses were of course miffed at being sent on a mission after watching their world disappeared and hearing no word about their friends and their locations, but they were at least doing a good job of tempering their anger.

"Uh! How can they expect me to focus on a mission when my baby sister is somewhere out in Dust knows where?!" The yellow dragon stomps her way through the town.

After being rescued by their instructor, the remaining two members of Team RWBY was then placed in one of the newer ships they say in the hanger and were sent off just before the world vanished. Yang and Weiss then watched as the ship begin to fly itself as the Headmaster appeared on the large screen explaining the situation to them. Now here they are in a new world after a half hour flight, yet all the time Yang worried over the fate of her family and friends than the newest mission.

Weiss walked beside Yang at a more solemn pace. "Yang, I hate this situation just as much as you do. We should be out there looking for everyone else like the other students and teachers."

"Then why are we still here and not back trying to work the ship?!" Yang asked, her usual lilac eyes now red to show her anger, and her blond hair lightly aflame.

"I'm not exactly in a hurry to visit a random world or have our ride explode in space since none of us know how to pilot the ship." Weiss spoke her reasons. What she left out was how she didn't want to get in any vehicle with Yang after the high speed madness back on the Bumblebee.

"Pfft, just give me a like 3 minutes, I'll have us flying like a champs in no time." The flames simmered down after Weiss made her point. The two only got here thanks to the autopilot so until they figured out how to fly their new ride, they were stuck put in this world. With her anger now gone and not clouding her judgement, the blonde bombshell pulled out her Scroll.

"So what do you think that message from Ozpin was about?" On the screen read out the orders Ozpin had given to them earlier. Yang was surprised at how she could still get messages from planets away from wherever the Headmaster was now. How good was the Wi-Fi for it to send messages from across light-years away?

"When we find this key we'll get our answers. It might be tied to those thigs that attacked our world." The heiress answered while she too read over the orders on her own Scroll. "Just remember what the rest of our orders are Yang. We're not supposed to be talking about the existence of other worlds to those not already informed. We don't know if this place knows about the other worlds or if it's was like Remnant and left in the dark."

"Aye aye, Captain Killjoy." Yang sarcastically saluted.

"Be serious Yang. I'm talking about keeping the World Order, so unless we have to, no talking about Remnant or Dust or anything else from where we're from." Weiss glared at Yang's nonchalant attitude.

"If the ship sent us here then Ozpin and Goodwitch made sure this world was in the know. Plus not like we don't already stand out with the clothes we have on."

"Maybe we wouldn't attract so many stares if you had dressed more tastefully."

"As if, clothes like these are the best for how I fight. And that's a laugh coming from Ms. Dress."

"Combat Skirt! We've been over this!"

"Yeah yeah, huh?" Before Yang could joke around more she saw an animal make its way towards them.

It was a dog, not matter what world they were on it was obviously a dog. A medium sized, yellow furred dog with long black droopy ears and a long thin black tail. As it sat and looked at the girls with large eyes, Yang saw the green collar hanging loosely around its neck with the name _Pluto_ inscribed on the front.

"Hey there little guy, is Pluto your name?" Yang asked as she began petting the yellow dog. Pluto giving her a bark as his way of saying 'yea' while enjoying the petting.

"Yang, what are you doing? We have a key to find and we don't have time to waste." Weiss patronized her while at the same time holding one of her hands back to avoid petting Pluto herself.

"I can't help it Weiss, the guy just came out of nowhere. Almost reminds me of Zwei, Zwei started hitting the gym." Yang smiled, remembering the old days back home with her sister, father, and their pet dog Zwei. An idea then popped into her head. "Hey boy, have you seen any keys anywhere?"

"Yang, I don't think it will be that easy."

Hearing the question, Pluto turned towards a nearby building and started barking while running towards it. Yang was about to follow before she was held back by Weiss.

"Yang, we can play with the cute doggy later." Weiss saw the look in Yang's eyes but then cut her off. "We need to find this Leon character like Professor Ozpin said in the message. He might have this key or at give us a hint towards finding it.

"Alright, alright!" Yang said as she saw Pluto run off towards the back of the shops. The two Huntresses then walked away to begin searching for either Leon or the Key.

"Cute little doggy~?"

"I didn't say lit…Goddammit Yang!"

(Scene Change)

Unbeknownst to the two, Pluto had listened to Yang and went off to search for the nearest key. This led the yellow dog to sniff his way into an ally where he a boy leaning against the wall. The boy was unconscious if his closed eyes and steady breather was any indication, but Pluto's nose pointed him towards the oversized Key in the blond boy's right hand.

The key then vanished as the boy began to come to. Jaune slowly woke up and stared at the hand that only a second a go held the Keyblade. He then put the hand down and turns to see Pluto sitting and panting next to him. Jaune groaned and his sleepy eyes went from the dog to the unknown walls around him.

"This is just a dream." He said sleepily and sadly, almost hoping that Remnant wasn't gone and the evens was just another weird nightmare. That was before Pluto rushed up and planted his front paws on the knight chest plate, waking him up and knocking the wind out of him.

"Ow! Ok, that hurt too much for this to be not a dream!" Jaune realized as he quickly stood up. Thinking back, he thought of his strange new weapon and suddenly Kingdom Key returned to his grasp. Staring at the Keyblade in his hand and feeling the power within it, Jaune's grip tightened on the handle.

"This isn't a dream, which means all that stuff about the monsters and Remnant vanishing happened. Beacon is gone. Pyrrha and Ruby…"

After the solemn thought, he swung Kingdom Key around for a bit to test his new weapon. It actually reminded him of a mix of a mace, a longsword, and a katana from some of the weapons books Ruby let him borrow. It'll have to do since Crocea Mors was gone now. After getting the feel of his new weapon he looked at the dog who woke him up.

"Pluto huh...you wouldn't happen to know where I am, do you boy?" Jaune asked his newest acquaintance. If he really was on another world, that didn't mean animals couldn't talk right? Yeah that idea sounded way better in his head for some reason.

Pluto, gave him a single bark before dashing out of the alleyway.

"Yeah I thought so too." Jaune followed Pluto out of the alleyway and then grew wide eyed at the new town he ended up in. He definitely wasn't in Kan...Vale anymore. This place reminded him of the towns he saw in Professor Oobleck's class textbook.

It was a large, calm and quiet town, much different from downtown Vale on a busy day. Houses and buildings barely going over two stories as opposed to the large city buildings. Soon looking and checking his Scroll, Jaune figured either his Scroll was broken or time was weird because his phone read Noon yet it was still night time. Maybe he found the one world where there wasn't a sun? Jaune came upon a set of large closed doors and eyed the words on top written across.

_Traverse Town - 1st District._

"I might just be passing history, but I don't think this town is on any map I've ever seen." Jaune then shook his head of denial. He was in a new world, not just a new town. "I better start looking around. Maybe someone I know got dropped off here too." Wishfully thinking, Jaune began looking at his choices around town.

There were other people walking around the plaza between everything but none of them looked familiar. Many of the stores and homes still had their lights on but only a few of them had their doors opened. The café was opened air, so he could see the patrons eating or drinking but none of them he has ever seen before. Still looking, Jaune's eyes caught two shops close by each other. Walking towards them he walked straight towards the one closest to the ally where he woke up.

'Cid's shop huh?'

Jaune entered the store, hearing the ringing of a bell above him signaling his arrival. "Hello, is anyone here?"

"Well, there's me."

A man at the counter got his attention. "Name's Cid, and I run this shop." The man answered the blond knight. The guy had on a white shirt and a large orange waistband over what looked like blue pants, at least that all Jaune could catch as most of the storeowner's waist was behind the register desk. The older man had a bit of a blond beard growing on his chin and a necklace with a rectangular charm. His blond hair was also messy, held back by a pair of goggles, but Jaune could guess that he was a guy cared little about his hair.

"I'm Jaune, Jaune Arc. Anyway, do you know where I am? I'm kind of lost." Jaune replied a bit nervously. Cid just nodded as he pulled the long toothpick out his mouth.

"Well kid, you're in Traverse Town. It's a world of remnants, built by refugees for refugees. People who have lost their worlds usually wind up in a place like this sooner or later." Cid's answer surprised Jaune.

If people who lost their worlds came to Traverse Town sooner or later, then there was a chance his friends could be here.

"So, I'm not in Remnant anymore. But, how'd I get here if my world vanish?" Jaune asked no one in particular, though Cid did give somewhat of an answer.

"Dunno how you got here, but most people usually get here by Gummi Ship." Cid then pointed around the room showing Jaune pictures, diagrams, and models of various different ships. "That's what this shop is for kid, I sell and build parts and pieces to anything that flies through the stars. It's the only way to safely go through the many worlds, so people come to me when that way starts to break down or want something extra built in."

What is a Gummi ship was Jaune's first mental question to the man's response, but he decided to ask later. Jaune wanting to get started on finding his friends and teammates.

"Anyway, I'm trying to find some friends of mine. I got separated from them. Do you have any ideas where to find them if they landed here out of nowhere like I did?"

"Honestly, not the faintest idea. If they ended up in Traverse Town, they could've landed in any of the three districts like you did."

"Districts?"

"Traverse Town is a large place divided into Districts. It's how the place is organized." Cid then started to explain. "This is the First District. It's not that big though so if you haven't seen anyway stumbling around like you have, they aren't here. Your best bet is to check the other two districts." Cid offered the teen his advice.

"There's another large door close by that leads to the Second District. However it isn't safe to look unless you can take care of yourself kid." Cid placed the toothpick back in his teeth.

"Don't worry about me, I can hold my own just fine. Believe it or not, I was taught how to hunt and kill monsters back in my world." Jaune reassured him as he shouldered his new weapon, not seeing the surprise in Cid's eyes from seeing Kingdom Key. "Well I'm off to check, thanks for the help Cid."

"Hold on Jaune." The old man stopped the knight from leaving. "If you ever run into trouble, you come to me." Surprising Jaune, the seemingly gruff man continued.

"Even if you call yourself a monster hunter, you can come back to this shop if things prove too rough for you. I'll look out for you, you seem like a good kid." With that, he let Jaune go the knight smiling back determined to go find his friends. Cid chewed more on his tooth pick before flicking it away.

"I better call Leon and the gang, wouldn't be good if we lost the key already." Cid said, remembering Jaune's weapon.

"Hopefully that kid doesn't get himself killed either."

(Scene Change)

"This place really isn't that big." Jaune said after exploring the First District. The only significant places was the plaza, where he asked the few people around for help. The cafe nearby, Cid's accessory shop, and an Item shop next door. Jaune even spotted another shop above Cid's but found out by a passerby that it was closed. All of them led to dead ends, as many never seen the people he was describing or were new arrivals much like he was. Taking Cid's advice, Jaune walked back to the door marked _2nd District_.

"Ok, I fought a Giant Ursa and a Deathstalker. I beat that giant monster thing at Beacon. What could I possibly have to worry about?" Jaune pumped himself up and then opened the doors.

No sooner than five steps past the now closing doors did he regret those words.

Almost immediately, a man came running from the right in front of him before tripping over his feet. Sweating profusely and huffing air, it was obvious that he had been running from something. Jaune quickly ran to the man's side, trying to help him stand up, the man losing his footing each time and falling back to the ground.

"Are you all right?! Do you need anything?!"

"Heart...My...Heart..." The man breathed out, still huffing in air.

"Hold on, I'm not a doctor but I can try and find a place where you can be treated!" Jaune pulled the man with him back towards the First District door.

Suddenly, with newfound strength, the man shook himself from the blond's hands and fell back to the ground. His face was one of shock and horror as his chest began to glow and something flew out of it.

"My…My…"

A heart. As weird as that sound Jaune had just watched someone's heart fly from their chest and unusually a glowing pink shaped heart instead of how the organ should look like. The man's body vanished as the heart flew to a small black vortex that appeared in midair.

"Wait, that's just like..." Jaune said, still in shock of the man's death. The vortex reminded him of the creatures that attacked Beacon. Jaune could only watch as the heart floated over into the darkness.

The heart was then swallowed by the void and then morphed into a new creature. It had a bluish black suit on body suit that cling to its entire frame, its fingers had long red claws. It was armored too, two steel wristbands, black boots with spiraled toes and a silver knight helm. The helm then open to show a shadowy face with two glowing yellow eyes and sharp teeth. The armored clad creature then disappeared into another black vortex.

"What was that thing?" Jaune asked, stunned at the events he'd just witnessed. It wasn't every day that weirdness on that level just happen, even some of Nora's pancake high dreams never got this weird. He didn't have time to actually consider things, as suddenly more of the shadowy monsters that appeared on Remnant around him.

_(Heartless theme – Kingdom Hearts ost: Destiny's Force)_

"You...you're the things from Remnant!" The blonde knight said as he was suddenly surrounded by possibly 7 or 8 of the shadow monsters. Quickly he held his sword in front of him, already prepared for what these monsters might try.

As the creatures circled and twitched around him, Jaune reaches and strikes at the closest one. The small monster vanished into mist though this causes the rest to attack the Huntsman all at once. Now shieldless, Jaune began to swipe around trying to keep a solid defense. Sparks fired off the steel as claws bounced off the Kingdom Key. Still standing, despite a few lucky nicks and scratches. Thinking back to his training, Jaune pulled his weapon to his side as if sheathing it and stood still with one hand on the handle. The creatures took this as a sign to attack all at once and all jump with their claws raised high seeking blood and hearts. Quickly, Jaune did a quick spin drawing his weapon and knocking them all away with one swipe.

As the black mist began to fade around him, Jaune let out a quick breath and started to look around the buildings.

"No time to rest now. I better keep up the search." Spotting a nearby hotel to his left. Jaune then ran to the doors wanting to move before any more of those creatures appeared again.

'Guess those are what Cid was trying to warn me about. I hope I can find my friends, but I also sort of hope that they aren't with these things.' Jaune thought as he stepped through the hotel's gates.

Just as those doors closed, the doors of the Second District opened again as two individuals had just arrived into this part of town.

"Geez, how hard is it to find one person in this place?" Yang asked, as their current search for the mysterious Leon had proven fruitless in the First District.

"I'm still having a hard time believing that someone gave money for three kids to start a business. Even more so that those kids are actually anthropomorphic ducks." Weiss just said dumbfounded at the Duck's Items, and the three Duck brothers, Huey, Dewey, and Louie.

"If you here that's weird, they said their Uncle is a knight and their grandpa is loaded. I wonder how they make money with all those bills." Yang grinned. She knew her jokes were bad, but they were a way to keep them from thinking anything negative. She was sure to find the rest of their team and reunite Team RWBY.

"Goddammit Yang, did you really just make a bill joke..." Weiss said, almost giving up at trying to reprimand the blond bombshell. Making Yang stop her puns was like her using pants instead of her (combat) skirt; it was a part of who they were. "I'm going to start ignoring you now, until we see a sign of any of our friends or this Leon I'm just going to tune you out."

"Good luck with that Ice Queen, you really need to let go." Yang walked forward, leaving Weiss to steam at the nickname before they left to check the rest of the district. Before she followed the heiress she noticed a few objects on the ground.

'I wonder what these things are?' Yang thought as she held up a pile of green bottles and light colored crystals.

(Scene Change)

"These things are everywhere!" Jaune yelled as he rolled out of an alley from another mob of creatures. His search in the Second District yield no results as he made his way back to the Second District's Door. He wasn't able to ask for much information because of the numerous monsters popping up and the absence of people inside this part of town. The people possibly locked their doors and hid to escape from the various monsters. The only house he could gain entrance to get a breather was run by a couple and their dogs. Like Jaune they were cast there after their world had vanished.

After talking to Roger, Anita and their dogs (Pongo and Perdita) Jaune found out that the Dalmatians' puppies went missing after they lost their world. 101 of them lost somewhere out in the stars.

"First Beacon and now The Dearly's world. Do these things just exist to ruin lives?" Jaune then swiped at a couple of soldier looking creatures to clear a path back to the door.

"Get out of my way!" Jaune shouted in rage as he slashed his way through a couple more creatures, black mist flying from Kingdom Key as the knight ran through it. Running up to the door, he stop and turned around with a wide arc to knock several Heartless back into the air with his Keyblade.

Following that up, he slashed away again at the stunned monsters and defeated several at once. Slapshot; that was the name of the move he had performed. It had that suddenly appeared in his mind and his body reacted accordingly as he continued his fight against these creatures of darkness. It was almost like Kingdom Key had taught him that move. With his new freedom of movement, he quickly opened the door and slammed it shut.

"Whew! Hopefully that's the last I see of them for a while." Jaune said as he exhaustively slumps against the door. The sound of several portals opening at once caused his eyes to widen as shadows came to life, creating more creatures.

"Oh come on!" Finding new strength he got up and ran before the new wave fully formed. Running into the open plaza, Jaune turns to face his relentless pursuers.

The first Heartless leaped into the air for a claw strike, only for it to be shot out of the air and vanish. Jaune stood confused as several fire balls fired from behind him and set the remaining three soldiers ablaze, soon the fire vanished leaving only a stunned Jaune.

"Okay, what just happened? Whatever those things were, just went up in smoke." Jaune stood stunned, wondering where the gunshots and fire came from.

"They'll keep coming for you out of nowhere."

"Who's there?!" Jaune turned around as a man stepped out from the shadows and began to approach.

The stranger had shoulder length brown hair that sort of reminded Jaune of a lion's mane, black pants and shoes, a white shirt, a black jacket with a pair of red angel wings on the back and two lion heads on the shoulders, and finishing the outfit was a necklace with a lions had at the end of a chain. The man's face was scarred, a single slashing scar in between grey blue eyes. "They'll keep attacking you so long as you continue to wield that Keyblade."

Jaune looked down at the weapon in his hands...the Keyblade, the Kingdom Key that laid solid and still in his hands. But his focus was soon back to the mystery man as he spoke again.

"But…why did it choose a guy like you?"

"You do know that I'm right here?" Jaune asked awkwardly, but he went unnoticed, or was maybe he was just ignored.

"Regardless. Now, let's see that Keyblade." The man reached to take the weapon from Jaune's hands.

"I'm not letting you have this!" The knight retorted and the man stopped and sighed.

"Have it your way." A weapon was then drawn. It looked like something that wouldn't be that uncommon in Remnant. A single edged blade that was like a sword that was grafted onto a revolver. It sort of reminded him of Snow Angel's Myrtenaster, but more for brute strength blows then quick movements.

"I hope that you can back up that big talk of yours kid." The man said as he rested his weapon against his shoulder.

"Hey, you can't be that much older than me!" Jaune shot back. Although nervous, he noticed that his opponent had yet to move from his spot.

'What is he waiting for? No way is a guy like him scared of me. He must be waiting to see what I try to do.' Jaune theorized. The key to victory always started with the first move, he could charge forward and take charge or he could wait and anticipate his opponent's moves. 'I don't have time to stand here and wait, I have my friends to find.' Gripping his weapon tightly, Jaune let out a battle cry as he rushed towards the scarfaced gunner.

'Head on huh, big mistake.'

In a flash, his downward slash met with Jaune's Keyblade and the two began to fight for dominance. Jaune slowly sliding along the ground as the man pushed back. "I hope you realize you can never out muscle me."

"I can't, but..." Changing his stance, he let the gunblade slide off his weapon leaving the man shocked and exposed. "I can use that muscle against you!" Jaune then slammed the blunt end of the key against the man's chest knocking him back with another hit from Kingdom Key.

The man slid and stumbled before regaining his step. "Impressive, you used my own momentum against me. Guess I better stop playing around."

He then took aim with his weapon and flames began to spark to life and appear around the barrel. That was when he blasted a fireball from the gun, and Jaune barely had time to hold his Keyblade in front of him to block. Even then, it burned and blasted him back quite a bit of away from his opponent.

'What?' Jaune thought as suddenly his legs started to shake and his eyelids started getting heavy. He wanted to fight more, but the fatigue from many battles started to set in. 'Not now...' Jaune tried to keep himself awake and fighting, but it was not meant to be. He collapsed and fell to the ground. His opponent looked down at him and his eyes then moved to Jaune's hand still gripped on the Keyblade.

"Did you have to beat the guy up like that Leon?" A girl's voice came getting the young man's attention.

"I didn't go that far, but things are worse than we thought...a lot worse." Leon said as he eyed the Keyblade in Jaune's hands. "Kid's got a decent moves, but those may not be enough." Lifting Jaune up fireman style he tossed the weapon to the girl. "You take a separate route, let's try to lose the trail."

(Scene Break)

"Geez, where the hell is this Leon person?" Weiss asked as she and Yang had spent a good deal of time trying to track down a single person, and now they were in an alleyway in the Second District trying to find the guy, since they had no other leads.

"I know, but do you think the others are okay?" Yang dropped her jokes for seriousness. She was still completely worried about her baby sister and she was putting up a strong front to hide those worry. She knew that keeping it bottled up would be bad in the future so she had vent some way or another.

"Of course they're ok, we are all trained to be future Hunters and Huntresses. I'm sure everyone we know are just fine and are wherever the other airships have them stationed." Weiss reassured Yang and by proxy herself. Thinking of the worse would only get in the way of their current mission. Besides, Goodwitch and Ozpin would not have sent them off alone if they weren't sure the rest of their friends were safe.

"We haven't even finished our first year. Battles with Grim have nothing on the world ending all around us." Yang gripped her fists in anger. Suddenly she exploded, literally her golden hair was aflame and her eyes were red.

"Dammit, where the hell are you?! Leon, you better show yourself or I'm tearing this whole place down!"

"Um, excuse me?"

The new voice shook Yang out of rage mode as the two huntresses were greeted with a new person, a woman.

A pink dress with magenta lining and buttons going down the front, all of which are buttoned except for the last two. She has a black string tied in the same fashion as the one on her belt around her neck like a necklace. A loose, lilac belt around her waist with black string tied into a bow. Green eyes and brown hair styled in a long braid down her back, with curls on either side of her face.

"You two say you are looking for Leon?" The stranger asked.

"Depends on who's asking? May we know who you are?" Weiss asked. Strangers were strangers even in different worlds, though she could also blame her history with the White Fang for being so skittish around new faces she wasn't sure about.

"Oh, forgive me. I guess Glynda and Ozpin neglected to mention the rest of us by name." The woman apologized to the two. "Let me start over. My name is Aerith Gainsborough, and I shall be your escorts to Leon Beacon Huntresses." Aerith introduced herself with a bow and a smile.

(Scene Break)

"Hey, you okay?"

"Uhhhh…"

"Hello?! Leon didn't knock you around too much right?"

Gaining consciousness, eyes opened as Jaune heard a girl's voice as he started to rise up from the bed he was in. He finally had a good rest after multiple fights and was now started to come to. His vision was still blurry a bit.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He said as he saw Ruby sitting next to him beside the bed. She smiled for a bit before started talking again.

"Those creatures that attacked you were after the Keyblade. But it's your heart that they really wanted. It's because you hold the Keyblade." 'Ruby' explained to the bedridden knight.

Jaune nodded his head. Though still a bit dizzy, inwardly he was glad to have some knowledge on the fate of his first friend at Beacon. Especially seeing her standing safe and sound in front of him.

"I'm glad you're safe Ruby."

"Ruby? Who's Ruby? I'm the great kunoichi, Yuffie Kisaragi!"

That's when his vision seemed to flash for a moment, turning the black gothic dress, red cape wearing red head, into a girl that was one, not two, years younger than him with short black hear, wearing a green sleeveless top with tan shorts and a headband. Smirking at his surprised face, she then turned when the door to the room opened, "I think you overdid it Squall."

"It's Leon." Leon said, revealing to be the same guy that attacked Jaune in the First District and also in his hand was the Keyblade.

"Hey, that's...wait, you're the guy that attacked me!" Jaune started, wanting the Keyblade back. It was the only weapon he had left since losing Crocea Mors and his shield as well.

"Yeah, we had to get it away from you to shake off those creatures..." Yuffie spoke and looked to Leon before finishing, "It turns out, that's how they were tracking you."

"They, you mean those monsters right? From the darkness?"

"The Heartless have great fear of the Keyblade." Leon said as he leaned near the door.

(Scene Break)

"Heartless? What are they?" Yang asked as she and Weiss were now sitting in a room, speaking to their newest acquaintance.

"The ones who arrived on your world, the Heartless, are people who've lost their hearts to darkness, no longer even human. They hunt people down and steal their hearts. It's because of them that your world is gone." Aerith explained with a heavy heart.

"Ok, why do they hunt down people's hearts and destroy worlds? It just doesn't make any sense to me." Weiss spoke her thoughts aloud to Aerith. It was almost too much like Remnant with their Grim, no one knows why they attack humans and Faunus. They didn't do it for food or game, it just came natural to them. Grim were attracted by negative emotions and attacked anything with a soul, harmful to them or not. Only Grim who have lived for a long amount of time were the only exceptions.

"The Heartless are attracted to the darkness in people's hearts." Aerith started out with explaining a key fact.

(Scene Break)

"Except for special select few, every person has darkness in their hearts. That is what the Heartless are attracted to." Leon explained. "You say it's similar to the Grim from your world, hunting prey down and attracted to town because of negative emotions right? While similar, it's different for Heartless."

"Exactly how different?" Jaune asked, wanting to know exactly what he was dealing with.

"Since the Heartless…were once human or living beings. Some of them are people whose hearts have been stolen." Leon said solemnly. "If a living thing loses their hearts to a Heartless, they become on as well.

"Some theorist figure that Heartless steal hearts trying to replace the ones that they lost." Yuffie chimed in. "A lot of people have their own theories about them, where they come from, and why they do the things they do. But no one was more of an expert than Ansem."

"Ansem huh?" Jaune parroted the name.

(Scene Break)

"Wait, Ansem?"

"You know that name Yang?" Aerith asked out of curiosity. A spark seemed to go through the blonde's eyes when she spoke Ansem's name.

"Kind of. My mom, my stepmom Summer Rose, had a father by that name. Ansem Rose was this big researcher who studied ancient things like Grim behavior and the origins of dust. I didn't really hang out with him all that much, I thought the stories he had were boring. Ruby, on the other hand, pretty much clung to him whenever he visited us back when we lived on Patch." Yang reminisced. "She keeps a lot of his old books, he's one of the big reasons she wanted to become a Huntress."

"Ansem...Ansem Rose. I've heard my father mention that name once around my home." Weiss pondered on the man's significance. "If he got my father's attention, he must be big in the science community. Especially if he isn't from Atlas."

"If they are the same person, then your Grandfather Ansem is the man who was studying the Heartless. It's thanks to his research that we even know as much as we do now." Aerith explained. "All of his research was placed in a very detailed report. We know someone who has read the entire report and has shared some of his research with us."

"Well let's see this fancy report. It might have clues on what we need to restore our world." Yang asked. There had to be ways to restore Remnant back to the way it was before the Heartless arrived.

"It would also give us the information we need for when we go up against those Heartless again." Weiss brought out a good point. The Heartless caught all of the students by surprise when they arrived but they were ready now that they knew what they were dealing with. Especially now that they were on another world much different from Remnant. How exactly where they supposed to get dust and ammunition for their weapons on other worlds?

"I'm sorry, but last anyone heard, Ansem's reports were scattered across different worlds." Aerith apologized sadly.

"Back to square one I guess." Weiss sighed in disappointment.

"Well, I guess we go back to finding that key Ozpin mentioned to us on the Scroll." Yang folded her arms behind her head nonchalantly as they didn't have anything else to go on. Best to proceed with their mission.

"That's right, you're looking for the Key, or rather the Keyblade." Aerith spoke, catching the girls' attention again.

(Scene Break)

"So, this is the key?" Jaune asked unsure as he inspected Kingdom Key. It always did feel very unusual and powerful; only now did its importance dawn on him. "Wait wait, why did you give this back to me if it was so important?"

"It's not like a normal sword." Yuffie answered as Leon walked up to the bed and held out his hand.

"Let me borrow it again, and you'll see why." Jaune was reluctant to give up his cool new sword, even if it looked more like a key, but he was curious as to why it was unceremoniously tossed back at him earlier. Leon held it for a bit and made a light swipe away from Yuffie and Jaune. That's when the Kingdom Key disappeared into particles of light, and reappeared back into Jaune's hands.

"How did?" He didn't really need to finish, being too stunned to really speak of anything else.

"See, that's why it's not a normal sword. The Keyblade chooses its master, and it chose you!" Yuffie grinned.

"Lucky us." Leon added sarcastically to Yuffie's statement. The Key-bearing Knight felt deflated that he wasn't really accepted.

"Well, I heard the Keyblade can open all kinds of locks, and maybe we can..."

"Let's not get into another bet on gathering Dust crystals like that. You got in trouble the last time for stealing Dust and you're not dragging anyone else on some crazy scheme." Leon stopped her. Ignoring the ninja's whines he continued to speak. "Besides, Aerith has some guests from Beacon with her as well and it's about time to meet them too." Jaune perked up and jumped out of bed. He hoped that it was someone he knew, but he couldn't get into the next room because Leon blocked the way. "Just to let you know, there's no going back once you start this journey. The Keyblade chose you, which means you have a large role to play Jaune. Are you ready?"

Leon's words may have been harsh to some, but many worlds are constantly in danger because of the Heartless. And now, the only way to drive the forces of darkness away was in the hands of the teenager in front of him. While lucky and experienced as a fighter, it took more than that to earn Leon's trust. Jaune had to realize the important weight he carries and the dangers that lied ahead before he could leave this room.

"Yeah, I think I'm ready." Jaune just wanted to see who it was that came from Beacon. Leon nodded his head and was about to open the door…

"Leon!" Yuffie cried out and pointed as a new Heartless appeared in the middle of the room. It looked like the Heartless who took the man's heart, yet it wore a brown uniform with a strange golden helmet and sharp crimson claws. As it danced about they all knew it wasn't the only one to arrive.

"Yuffie, go!" Leon ordered her, gunblade immediately in his hands.

Seeing how she wasn't the one the Heartless were after, Yuffie was able to run through the door leading into the other room. She slammed through the door, feeling that she had hit something hard along the way but it was not important. "Aerith, we got trouble!" The kunoichi ran to where she kept her weapons.

"Yuffie?!" Aerith asked her.

"We found the key guy but the Heartless are starting to appear around here too!" Yuffie quickly explained. It was only a matter of time before the Heartless focused on every other hearts in the hotel, but for now it seemed they were only focused on the keybearer's heart. "Gather the guests up and let's get out of here!"

"Easier said than done Yuffie." Aerith said while pointing behind her. Yuffie followed the woman's finger and found Weiss on the ground with stars spinning above her head; along with Yang struggling between standing shock and laughing her ass off at the sudden door slam to the back of her teammate's head.

"Aah...oops"

(Scene Break)

Jaune straightened himself out at the sudden jump through the window. At least he didn't have to worry about the glass, Leon had the idea to toss their newest arrival out of the window first before they both jumped out to make a quick exit. Now the two swordsman were standing side by side as more of the armored Heartless appeared from out of thin air. As the silver and golden soldiers danced around Jaune got ready to fight only for Leon to hold his hand out in front of him.

"Don't bother with these small fries. You'll only wear yourself out faster fighting all of them before the actual threat." Leon advised him. "These Heartless are being called down here by a much stronger one. Its darkness acts as a beacon to these guys, get rid of the boss and the Heartless will stop appearing for a while."

"You can't expect me to leave you here to fight all of them!" Jaune argued. The Knight didn't want to leave anyone behind, even if he had only met Leon today.

"Jaune, I can handle these guys but the Keyblade is the only weapon that can put an end to all of this. You need to go and take out the Heartless attracting all of these guys." Leon spoke with his eyes on the dancing Soldier Heartless. "We got a call that said that nothing appeared in the First District that means…"

"I can't just leave you here by yourself! What If these Heartless won't stop showing up..."

"Then that just means I got a long fight on my hands." Just then all of the Heartless began to pounce and attack at once.

"Duck!"

Jaune listened and thankfully ducked as Leon slashed through the full circle of Heartless. Jaune looked and see that the blade of Leon's weapon had extended, like a giant energy blade. With the way clear, the knight followed Leon's words and ran towards the Third District.

After making sure Jaune got out free Leon looked back as more Heartless appeared. "Ok, time to break Chocobo-head's record." Leon then charged forward into the horde.

(Traverse Town, 3rd District)

Jaune wasn't the only one that got the message and went to the Third District. After a quick patching up and a set of directions from Yuffie and Aerith, Yang and Weiss were walking along the balcony above the rest of the town. The Huntresses felt bad for leaving their guides behind but a look at the two destroying Heartless with staff and shuriken in hand eased their worries. As soon as the girls took another step they encountered the Soldier Heartless appearing on the balcony as well.

"So, more of these Heartless monsters huh? They're different from the uglies we've got on Remnant that's for sure." Yang said as she noted the insignia on the Soldiers' chests.

"Well, let's get rid of these pests Yang." Weiss drew her sword as Yang smiled while slamming her fists together.

"Hello properly placed aggression!" Yang jumped into the air to deliver a grand slam.

As she watched, Weiss's eyes widened in shock. "Yang, we're on a balcony, of you do that…!"

As Jaune ran into the district he heard a loud explosion that stopped him dead in his tracks. "Don't tell me these things have bombs now?!" Seeing the raining debrief he looked up and spotted two falling figures.

"Aaaah/Aaaah!"

"Aaaah…OOF!"

And on the back of a certain blonde knight that had tried his best to catch the two girls; his right hand stretched out holding the Kingdom Key away from the pile of bodies. The three were disoriented, with Jaune from becoming an improvised landing cushion as Yang and Weiss were from being blasted away after Yang going a little wilder then needed in a tight space above the ground.

"The key!" The Huntresses shouted in unison when they noticed the Kingdom Key right in front of them.

"Um, can you two please get off me?" Jaune asked as suddenly, the floor around the exits started to rise up and create a physical barrier, preventing them from escaping. Not that the walls would be much of a problem, if it wasn't for the group of Soldiers that stood at the top before jumping down. Eager to take the hearts of the three trapped humans.

"You both don't know how glad I am to see a familiar face!" The knight after they got up, holding the Kingdom Key in a one handed sword stance. It was still weird for him to not having a shield but Jaune didn't have time to complain.

"Same, all though I really hope that fight with Pyrrha wasn't a fluke Jaune. We need all the fighters we can get" Yang pulled out another clip of dust and reloaded her gauntlets after the gun show from earlier. The blast off the roof aside, she still had more aggression to lose. Who better to take it out on than the monsters that pretty much ate their home?

"We can have a happy reunion when we're not staring down Heartless." Weiss said as she took a fencing stance. The soldier Heartless began to close in on the trio of Beacon students. Each of the Hunters in training ready as their latest enemy began to tighten the circle around them.

_(Heartless Battle theme– Persona 3 Portable ost: Wiping All Out P3P)_

"Hey Weiss, how 'bout we give these creeps a Team RWBY welcome?" Yang triggers her semblance, her anger at the Heartless enough to give her a boost in power. Running up, she pulls back her fist to slam it into the gut of the first Soldier in her way. The force of the hit enough to send it flying into another crowd of Heartless turning them all to dust at once. "Strike!" Yang smirks as she rushes to the next horde.

"We don't have Ruby or Blake, but we're just enough!" With a twirl of her hand, a glyph appears on the ground forcing a few of the Heartless up to the air. Her weapon forward, Weiss skates swiftly forward and skewers all three with her sword, leaving behind only black mist floating midair. Not stopping, Weiss stabs the ground allowing ice to sprout out and protect her from the claws now bouncing off the wall of ice.

Jaune, unable to rely on his semblance, grips his weapon and charges to fight the old fashioned way. Swinging a wide arc that bounces against the Soldier's claws stunned them long enough for Jaune to swing away at them his Keyblade. These newer Heartless were much more durable than the Shadows from earlier but most are defeated after two or three hits. Slaying five, Jaune's eyes move around to keep track of the enemy's numbers and positions. Hearing more sounds, Jaune looks up and sees another group of Heartless jumping down from the top of the walls. Seeing him distracted, a Soldier jumps up to swipe at the blond only to be knocked back by Jaune's quick reflex.

'They're going to kill us with these numbers unless we can take out a lot of them at one, but how?' As he thinks, Jaune watches as Yang continues to punch away at Shadows while Weiss fires ice dust from her weapon. The wheels began to turn as Jaune cuts down more Heartless.

"Weiss, freeze the ground around us!"

"What, why should I do that?!"

"Just trust me ok!" Jaune retorts as he helps Yang with crowd control, cutting Soldiers down before they could reach Schnee heiress. "Get as much ice and spike on the ground when I say 3, got it?!"

"Tch, fine but you two better be ready when I send us in the air!" Weiss reluctantly agreed. It would take a lot of dust and some of her stamina to use both, but she decided to place her trust in the blond knight. Jaune and Ruby weren't her first choice for team leaders but both were chosen for different reason, Ruby for her skills and Jaune for his strategic planning. So the rumors said. JNPR's stories of Jaune's plans had better not been flukes.

"Yang, when we're airborne punch the ground as hard as you can!"

"One giant FreezerBurn, coming right up!" Yang smirks, flames still sprouting from her golden locks.

"Wha...nevermind, on my mark!" Jaune begins the count as he and Yang run towards Weiss to make the job much easier.

"1...2...3!"

Following the plan, Weiss uses a glyph first to shoot Yang and Jaune into the air before switching to her ice dust. Stabbing the ground again she began to freeze the ground around her, causing spikes of ice to spread out from the frozen earth. Some of the ice, skewering and stabbing almost half of the Heartless. Taking off into the air, Weiss made sure to use another glyph to keep them all in the air.

"Yang, nail 'em!"

"Showtime!" Yang smiles as her glyph vanishes and falls face first to dive-bomb while gripping her fists. Cocking on back, she smashes it into the frozen ground sending chunks of ice spikes and stone all around the area, ripping apart the rest of the Heartless horde in a storm of sharpened ice. The ice melts around her before it could get close to the burning Yang, though her arms are held up to shield herself from debris along with her aura. A moment later Jaune and Weiss land down right beside to her.

"Nice plan Jauney Boy! I'll admit Ruby would've had us fighting more for fun before we decided on a game plan." Yang said, patting him on the back.

"I guess all those talks of your perfect strategies weren't just flukes." Weiss said, now embarrassed for doubting Jaune's eye for battle plans. "So it looks like we've finally got a moment to breath."

"Thanks girls, but I don't think that was all." Jaune lowers his guard for a moment to look around the open area.

"Yeah, they still got the walls up pretty high." Yang picks up a rock and tosses it high only for it to bounce off an invisible ceiling. "And the dome is still up too."

"Did the Heartless trap us here on purpose?" Weiss wonders. "From what Aerith told us, these ones shouldn't be capable of forming strategies."

"I don't know who Aerith is, but Leon told me that all these Heartless were attracted here by a much stronger Heartless somewhere around here." Jaune recalls the scared man's words. "So either this is a trap…" Suddenly, a crash was heard nearby and he sees the two girls taking a step back. "There's something really bad behind me right?" He spoke with a calm expression.

"Yep" Weiss says as she spun Myrtenaster's chambers to switch dust types.

"A big Heartless getting ready to hit us?"

"Yep, a really big one too." Yang answers while cocking her weapons to empty the chambers.

"Bring it on." Jaune turns around to see the newest threat; giant, multi-colored, pieces of armor gathering together. None of the pieces are connecting together, but two armored arms and claws hovers around a large hourglass shaped torso bearing the Heartless emblem. Underneath it two stands armored boots flat on the ground. Floating in the middle of the torso was a helmet. Its helmet opens revealing blackness and glowing yellow eyes before the silver faceplate slams shut.

"Err, why can't we ever get a break!?" Weiss screams in anger before readying herself as the armored beast advances.

"I think this is the boss Leon was talking about! We have to take it out!" Jaune says as the Heartless closes in on them, its arms spinning around it rapidly like a buzz-saw.

"Scatter!" Yang yells as they all quickly jump back to avoid the spinning gauntlets arms. The yellow dragon quickly lands on her feet, cocks back Ember Celica and fires a solid punch towards the spinning hands. Protected by her aura, the punch sends one of the arms flying into a nearby wall.

"It's like a giant toy, it's like there is nothing inside that armor." Weiss observes as she saw the Guard Armor not even acknowledge that fact an arm was missing or showed any signs of pain. Its only response is to stop its buzzsaw attack. Weiss use the moment cast a glyph under her to quickly fire herself forward to try and stab the Heartless' torso. A loud clank sounds as her sword barely scratches the metal. She quickly leaves before it could crush her under its boot.

"Its shell isn't a joke though."

"Neither are the limbs" Jaune said as he deals with the solo gauntlet trying to punch him into oblivion. Rolling was the one thing saving his life as he had to wait at the last moment for the metal to hit the ground so that he could attack it with his Keyblade. Dismemberment wasn't an option since each part of the Heartless was sentient. Seeing Weiss fail to strike the heart left him with only one idea left. Yang then appeared and upper cuts the gauntlet away, having it fly back into the Heartless' body.

"I gotta hand it to you Jaune, I didn't think that key could do serious damage." Yang joked while stifling a laugh as she watched the Heartless collapse like a jenga set.

"No more puns Yang." Jaune said as they regrouped. "We have to destroy each limb, it's the only way to kill this thing."

Weiss made it to the group in time to catch Jaune's plan; taking a break to recover some of her aura. "That makes sense. It would go easier if we had a way to blow this thing up in one big attack."

"Hello, blond bombshell over here!" Yang smirked at the accidental pun. "I have a way that can take care of this baddie in a flash. All I need is for my semblance to go off again and I'll be smashing Heartless left and right."

"You mean when your eyes turn red and your hair catches fire right?" Weiss asked.

"How exactly are you going to take that thing out and you're crazy if you think we're going to sit this fight out." Jaune objected. The argument stopped as they needed to run away the stomping feet trying to crush the team of three.

Yang looked from the legs to her teammates. "Trust me, it'll make sense in a minute. Just trust me!" Pushing them in both directions she turned and went flying into a wall after taking a kick from one of the feet.

"Yang!" Jaune recovered from the tumble caused by Yang.

Falling from the hole in the wall, Yang had managed to keep her aura up to absorb most of the damage, but it still hurt. The Huntress-in-training gave a few short breathes before standing tall.

"I'm fine, just prepping up. Come on you big toy, give me all you got!" Yang taunts trying to keep the Heartless' attention focused on her. "I had a toy just like you once, does your head fly off if I punch you just right?!" It seemed to be working as the armored Heartless sent punches towards her.

"Yang!" Jaune dashed ahead and block the first punch aimed at the girl behind him. The knight tried to hold his ground as the Keyblade blocks the one handed barrage of punches.

"Get out of here, this plan won't work if he kills us both!" Yang yelled.

"And let this thing turn you into wall pizza? Sorry, but I'm not losing anymore friends today!" Jaune struggled to argue as metal bashed onto metal. Yang smiled though she sees a foot starting to rear back.

"Ehehe, sorry Jaune…but I'm not the damsel in distress type!" Yang suddenly punches Jaune out of the way as she took the full brunt of the foot that buried her into the stone wall.

"Yang!"

Weiss watched in horror as the Heartless peeled its foot back, allow Yang to drop face first onto the ground. She pulled up her sword and was going to attack until she saw the twitching of Yang's fingers and small wisps of flames that faded in an out. "I see now, that's what her plan was."

The Guard Armor turned from the fallen dragon to the knight and began to stomp its way over. It reared back for another kick until it felt something holding its leg in place.

"My turn," Gripping hard, a punch sent the leg flying into the wall where it bursts into pieces.

"What the…?" Jaune stared in awe at the literal Girl on Fire.

Yang, eyes glowing red and hair a blazing inferno smirks as she now had the monster's attention. "You and me big guy, let's have blast!"

The Heartless responded by punching with its last free hand. Yang punched back and the once they met, the metal caved way, shattering apart while the force sent it skidding along the ground away from the blonde. Seeing it stunned and "unarmed" the burning dragon ran to continue her assault.

"That's her semblance, it's incredible." Jaune stared wide eyed.

"Whenever Yang gets angry, I see her eyes change color and her hair starts to catch fire. I asked Ruby and she says that's one of the ways to trigger her semblance." Weiss explains as she went to the knight's side. "Damage from battle must be another way."

"How strong can she get?"

"She blew up a balcony we were on and that's just for being pissed off." Weiss recalls as they watch.

Yang braces herself and catches the boot that tried to stomp her into the ground. "Take a, leg off!" Throwing it back, it bounced off its head back to Yang so that she could punch it to pieces too. The torso and head were all that's left, defying gravity as they hovered. The eyes began to glow menacingly from behind the face plate. Yang gave it the universal "bring it" taunt as the torso began to spin rapidly. The spinning top of doom quickly slams into Yang, who had her arms crossed to guard.

"She took the damage to power up but she won't last forever." A bulb lit up as Jaune started to run ahead. "Let's go help her."

"Read my mind, what's the plan?" Weiss followed after him.

Yang kept holding the armor back until a glyph appears and repels it back, knocking it into Kingdom Key's swing. The strike knocked it out of its rotation making it wobble in confusion not seeing Yang propped onto Weiss' glyph.

"We definitely need a name for this power move." Yang joked.

"Just go already!" Weiss launched the blonde like a missile, firing her at the Heartless' chest.

Yang readied her fist as she flew straight at her target and smiled as her punch dented and pressed into the Heartless' torso. Quickly, Yang shot up with her gauntlets and uppercuts the head clean off. Running, Weiss and Jaune stabbed with their swords and this time crosses through its chest, leaving a shining "X" allowing black wisps to pour out. The torso began to shake and tumble until a large heart floated out of the top and into the air, causing the armor to disappear in a burst of light.

"Is it finally over?" Weiss asked before the barrier vanished and the walls began to fall.

"Looks like it, whew." Yang powered down and stretched some of her aching muscles. "Man, I hope I don't have to do that too often. You think a shop around here has Strawberry Sunrises?"

"How should I know?" Weiss then picked up the bracelet left behind. "More loot?"

"Whatever it is, we can find out after we get back too…oh man Leon!" Jaune jumped, remembering the man that sent him off to fight the Heartless.

"No need for that" The trio turns to see Leon, Yuffie and Aerith walking into the district. "You three did a good job, a little rough around the edges but you three took care of that pretty well." The gunslinger said.

"Way to downplay the victory Leon" The ninja shook her head. "But hey, you three beat the Heartless and found that key you were looking for."

Weiss began to brush the dust off her combat skirt. "So that weird sword he has is the Key Ozpin sent us to find?"

"Ozpin wanted to find this thing?" Jaune said surprised.

"They were sent by Ozpin and the King with orders to find the keyblade and its chosen one. A light to help put an end to all of the darkness." Aerith explained. "With the keyblade, it's possible to fix the damage caused by the Heartless."

"And our friends?"

"If they didn't evacuate with your friends at Beacon, then they must be on one of the other worlds out there. You can look for them while completing the rest of your mission." Leon answered.

"The rest, we found the key right? What else is left?" Yang asked.

"You got the keyblade but you don't know how to restore your world or stop the Heartless. The only one left with that information is the King himself." Leon continued. "He's out there somewhere across the worlds, you'll just need to find him."

"Another quest" Weiss sighed.

"At least we can find our friends while we're looking on other worlds." Jaune said optimistically. He almost jumped when he felt Yuffie pat him on the back.

"That's the spirit, make sure to find all kinds of rare dust while you're out there 'k?"

"Before we go off on an interstellar trip, we don't have the tools and the stock for the trip. Not to mention none of us know how to fly our ship." Weiss brought up.

"I told you, give me few minutes and I can fly it!"

"No…just, no!"

Aerith laughed for a bit. "There's a mechanic in the first district named Cid who works on Gummi Ships. I'm sure he can teach you everything you need to know."

"In the meantime, everything you need to prepare for the trip can be found in the First District. You can buy all the food, medical supplies, and weapons you need while Yang is learning." Leon then reached into his pocket and pulled out a familiar gem. "Do you know what this is?"

Yang's eyes widened. "Those look like the gems I've been picking up."

"That's Munny, it's the currency used in all the worlds." Yuffie explained. "It's weird, but it acts as a universal currency. You need that to buy all the stuff you need here."

"Wait, shops don't take Lien?!" Weiss asked worriedly.

"No"/"Sorry"/"Not a one."

"Ouch, tough luck Weiss…Weiss?" Yang looked to see Weiss pale and frozen in place. She waved a hand up and down in front of her face. "Yeah we lost her, must be hard for the princess to be a pauper now."

"Oh relax, we're not going to leave you guys completely on your own." Yuffie reassured them.

"We can't leave Traverse Town completely unprotected, it's are duty to protect the residents and the new arrivals. However, when the Heartless vanished we knew you were victorious but future battles won't be as easy." Aerith then presented them a bag full of Munny. "We pooled together so that you can shop for everything you need."

"Squall here even got you something extra." Yuffie said while Leon closed his eyes and looked aside. The ninja then pulled out a large sealed bottle. "Tada! For anything serious, you can use this elixir to heal yourself up!"

"It's in case your aura depletes to zero and you can't absorb damage. We don't need you two dying out there." Leon explained.

"Translation, I'm worried and don't want any of you hurt out there."

"Yuffie…"

"Thanks, but can we go back to the hotel, I think we've deserve a nice long nap." Jaune said exhaustedly. The three have fought their way through Heartless and just took down a giant suit of living metal. If he didn't find a bed soon, he was going to pass out right here cute girls watching or not.

(Scene Change)

In a dark room, a group were all staring down at the only source of light in the room. A magic circle that projected the three Beacon students for all of them to see.

"**Those little brats took down that Heartless? I couldn't believe it without seeing it myself."** A rough male voice spoke out over the sound of crackling flames.

"_Such is the power of the Keyblade. The boy's strength is hardly his own."_ A low sinister male voice spoke like a serpent; hands tapping along a large staff.

"_Why don't we turn him into a Heartless? Ahahaha that would solve all our problems!" _A loud female voice suggested, around her were soft sounds of the ocean.

"And what about the Lasses with him?" Another man spoke as he twirled his mustache. "Swoggle me eyes, the rats hardly look like a threat. Especially that the keyblade brat!"

"**You hardly look the part yourself! Especially when you can barely beat children!" Another man laughed in a boisterous tone**.

"Shut yer trap, before I squash the lot of ya'!" The light of the circle reflected wickedly off a hook.

"_**Enough!" **_A final voice spoke over them, ending their argument. _**"The Keyblade has chosen the boy that much is apparent. But he is young...unskilled, untrained.**_

"_**Will he truly be able to subjugate the darkness?"**_

"_**Or will the darkness swallow him whole?"**_

* * *

**TBC…**

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**Shout out to Blackheart0009 who created a Reading of, more like watch of, the story called: Preview of Heart. Watch the RWBY cast react to this epic adventure on the big screen. The story will grow after every so chapters so thanks for the support of this story and support Blackheart's story as well as its fantastic so far.**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Read Chapter 1 (it's in the fine print somewhere).

* * *

"So this is space huh?" Jaune look through the cockpit windows of the Gummi ship in awe. This is the first spacecraft he was in and the most advanced, more so than the Bullheads stationed at Beacon. Weiss told him earlier how Ozpin had given the two girls this ship to travel across different worlds to look for him, or the keyblade rather; while that did raise some questions he was just glad to have a way to search the stars and find their friends and classmates.

"Yeah, awesome isn't it?" Yang set the ship to autopilot so that she may get a few moments of ease. After taking off from Traverse Town, the Shining Beacon was now safely cruising through space. The lessons she had taken from Cid before leaving definitely helped. As the three of them watch as every star pass by, enjoying the view.

"I've never thought in all of my life I'd get to see stars this close, and each one is supposed to be another world." Weiss set down her grimoire to gaze at the collection of stars and planets. This alone had really put things in perspective for her. The Schnee Dust Company, Beacon, and even Remnant itself is only a small part of this vast black ocean of worlds.

"I've always wanted to become a Huntress and go out on many adventures. I haven't even graduated and I'm on the biggest trip of my life!" Yang smiled as she spun around in the driver's seat. "I wonder what the first world we're going to see is. Hopefully we find some clues out there."

"Like where our friends and everyone else in Remnant landed." Jaune thought aloud. Now that he thought about it, the whole planet had also been consumed by darkness. As much as it pains him, not only was his school, but his home and his family were gone. Depressing as that may be, it also gives him more reasons to find their friends and a way to reverse what had happened to their world.

"We also need to find a way to stop these Heartless. Hopefully we can find some more of Ansem's research reports in the first world we stop by." Weiss also brought up. Leon and company had told them all they know about the Heartless and had even given them the Ansem report in their possession. The scared swordsman also told them that other pages of the report had been scattered throughout the worlds so that gave them another thing to look out for.

A light beeping from the console of the ship grabbed everyone's attention away from the view and to the ship's computer.

"Yang, did you break something already?!" Weiss tried to see what the sound meant.

"Hey! I didn't do anything, Cid taught me how to fly this thing perfectly!" Yang yelled back. The blond maybe a novice but she had learned all the basics she needed to know. So what if she winged the take off a bit, no one was better driving a vehicle than her.

Before things could escalate between the two, Jiminy decided to hop out of Jaune's hoodie and towards the console. "Now now, that sound isn't a sound of concern. I believe that it's the ship pointing out the closest world to us." The cricket hopped along the keys and was able to pull up a hologram of the world in the middle of the room.

"Gummi Ships are installed with this radar so that pilots would know of any nearby worlds that are safe enough to land on. Though it would seem that Cid and this Ozpin fellow installed a few more things to help you in your search." Jiminy hopped out the way as Yang's seat approached the console.

"Our first world eh" Yang smiled as she typed in the coordinates the ship gave them before taking the wheel. "All right, buckle up for safety everyone!"

"Buckle up? Coming from you that's like the pot calling the kettle black." Weiss mentioned as she and Jaune buckled up, hoping not to get Yang into the 'Speed Demon' mode.

"Alright, and remember I'll keep track of everything in my journal." Jiminy then tucked himself safely back in Jaune's hood.

"We got it Jiminy." The three said at the same time as they landed in the world.

* * *

(Scene Change)

* * *

"What the hell!?" Weiss yelled as the three now seemingly falling down a hole.

The three had no real idea what happened or how, but now the three were out of their ship and falling down a weird rabbit hole. Normally this would be cause for concern, but now they were in a sort of slow motion free fall trying to grab onto something to give them a sense of control, except for Yang, who decided to take it easy by stretching her body out to look like she's relaxing. Weiss struggled to find something to stop her fall and keeping her skirt from flying up. Jaune was flailing, trying to flap his arms as if trying to fly out the hole. Towards the bottom of the hole it wasn't long before gravity had returned to normal. With an unplanned flip, Jaune fell body first. Weiss, unprepared for the sudden shift in gravity, fell onto Jaune's back. Yang managed to flip and land her feet looking none the worse for wear, though she had to hold back from laughing at the small pileup her friends made.

'Again, really?' Jaune thought to himself, reminded of a previous fall back at Beacon.

"Okay…if there's a spell for healing, then we need to learn it...soon" Jaune groaned, rising to his feet after Weiss got off. So far, they had only read up on the first basic spell in the grimoire, Fire; the spell Leon had used during their fight.

Fire. A simple spell, and the basic building block for greater spells.

Still, when are they going to learn cool spells, like ones that drop meteors from the sky? Or at least a spell to make them weightless so that he can stop falling on his face.

Weiss dusted herself off from her failed landing. Before leaving Traverse Town, Aerith had given them a book containing instructions on how to use magic. When it came to learning the fire spell more Yang had brushed the spell off, saying she was already hot enough and didn't need magic to win a fight. This left Jaune and Weiss alone to learn how to use the art of magic. It was a slow crawl, with the book referring to using mana to power spells. The two were trying get around that by using their aura.

"The first world we arrived in a city and this one has us we land down a hole? Do these worlds ever stay consistent?" Weiss asked, brushing off another speck of dirt. Hopefully soon she could learn a spell that would clean her outfit. She didn't exactly have the funds to buy herself a new one anymore. Plus the fact, the three didn't have a chance to pack their luggage before they were ejected from Remnant.

Jiminy hopped out Jaune's hood, taking a breath of relief that he wasn't squished when Jaune broke Weiss' fall. Opening up his journal he then addressed the team as he wrote. "The name of this world read Wonderland back on the ship. With a name like that, you can't expect it to be part of the norm Weiss."

"We could've landed in a world where ninjas hop through trees and rooftops like in Blake's ninjas of love books." Yang replied as she looked at the somewhat decorated hole.

"You read those books?"

"Yep, I know all of Blake's little hiding spots around the room. I read a bit before hiding it from Ruby." Yang replied without shame before smiling wryly at Jaune. "Why, do you?"

Before Jaune could think of a reply they all heard the sound of thumping behind them. Running passed them was something, or someone. That someone was a rabbit, not a rabbit Faunus like they were used to, but a pure white animalistic rabbit wearing a red coat, yellow buttoned shirt, and black bow tie. In his right hand a large golden pocket watch.

"D'oh, I'm late! I'm late I'm late I'm late!" He spoke frantically after landing down the hole. Running circles around the new arrivals.

"Um, hello, could you tell us...?"

"No time to say hello, good bye! I'm late I'm late I'm late!" The rabbit ignored Jaune to venture further down the hole.

"Is it me, or was that guy just weird?" Weiss asked as everyone else nodded in agreement. The talking White Rabbit was running like his head was cut off.

"Yeah, but he might know a few things. Like where Ruby and Blake are? Maybe someone else?" Yang reminded them as she led chase after the rabbit, with Weiss groaning at her. It may be their first lead but it's dangerous to start chasing random things on an unfamiliar world.

"Let's go Jaune, we better make sure Yang doesn't do anything stupid."

"You know Snow An-I mean Weiss, she probably won't get into a supreme amount of trouble. Worse case, she might do something Nora might do, especially when she wants her pancakes...that was a horrible time when the cafeteria ran out." Jaune mentioned, shuddering while remembering how much of a berserker the random girl was. Weiss shrugs, though inwardly she agreed with the male blond and ran off, with Jaune just behind her.

* * *

(Scene Break)

* * *

The three passed through a room, which was comprised of multiple doors, until they found an open door that led them into another room. Unlike where they landed, it was a seemingly normal room.

"Oh dear I'm late! The Queen, she'll have my head for sure!" The White Rabbit said as he entered a door that was much smaller than the group.

"Well that's just great. The one door we need is way too small for us to even crawl into." Yang said as they crouched to inspect the door that had closed behind the rabbit. Before the girl could cock her hand back and make her own entrance she felt a hand land on her shoulder.

"Uh Yang, maybe we should check and see if the door is locked first." Jaune said as he bent down to reach for the door. Just as he hand reached the door, the doorknob began to move on its own. It let out a loud yawn and stared up at the trio with its droopy eyes.

"Do you mind keeping it down? I've already had one rude awakening, so I rather not be disturbed." The Doorknob glared up at the trio of visitors.

Jaune held up his hands apologetically. "Sorry, but you see we were chasing after a white rabbit who went through your door. Do you mind letting us through?"

"Hmm…" The doorknob eyed the students as if inspecting them before letting out a scoff. "Too big. I'm not stretching for a couple of people I don't know and you'll hardly fit through the tunnel as you are now."

"Well how do we get small enough to go through the door?" Weiss asked, already tired of the doorknob's attitude.

"Why don't you check out that bottle on the table there? Now if you excuse me, I'm going back to sleep." And just like that, the doorknob closed its eyes and returned to dreamland.

"What bottle, or better yet what table?" Weiss asked as they turned around and suddenly they saw a table in the center of the room with a bottle with a tag that said 'Drink Me', and all three were curious, since it wasn't there when they entered the room.

"When did that get there?" Jaune asked as Yang took the bottle.

"So, this thing'll get us through that door?" She asked as she opened the bottle and took a sniff. It didn't smell poisoned or toxic, but they didn't know anything else because of how strange the place was, despite having a clothed talking cricket chronicling their adventures.

"I'm not sure we should drink it. We don't even know what that thing is." Weiss spoke as Jiminy hopped out Jaune's hood to inspect the bottle.

"I agree with Weiss. I think it's better to side with caution." Jiminy agreed with the Schnee's statement.

"Well, maybe I should..." Jaune started to say but noticed that Yang was already taking a sip. It wasn't long before she started to shrink down in size; almost to the size of a rat or a large mouse. Soon the little dragon was sticking her head out of her larger piles of clothes.

"Whoa, I've dropped lots of pounds in a second?! Think we can take some of that back to Beacon?"

"Yang what is wrong with you? For all you know it could have been poisoned! Don't drink things with suspicious labels, especially one a talking doorknob told you to drink!" Weiss continued to lecture the shrunken blond whose modesty was only covered by thee piles of clothes around her.

"Sheeze, if you weren't loud before with your yelling you sure are now!" Yang shouted back while covering her ears. Surprisingly her weapon seemed to have shrunken with her. In a second, a mischievous smile appeared on Yang's face. "Wow Weiss, who knew you can be so daring.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'd say those suit Blake but black is a good color on you."

"You-You!" As Weiss proceeded to blow her top as Jaune decided to examine the bottle while trying to ignore the two's banter.

"So it's not poisonous if anything." Jaune spoke as the soft blush on his face beginning to fade. "Our weapons shrink with us, so the big problem would be our clothes."

"W-well, if it's the only way then I'll go next! Just so you don't try to peek up my skirt too!" Weiss spoke threateningly as she took the bottle from Jaune.

"Why bother? He'll see your underwear when it's on the floor."

"Quiet you!" As Weiss began to drink, Jaune proceeded to look around the room for anything else of interest. That's when he noticed something else that didn't seem there before.

"Hey, was that toy dresser always there, or am I seeing things?" He asked, directing the girls' attention to a nearby doll sized dresser and an old fashioned changing curtain, the kind seen in old homes when a person wanted to changed but didn't have the privacy.

"You're right." Weiss noticed just as the drink took effect. She began to shrink down as well, matching Jiminy and Yang in height. Myrtenaster also shrunk in the girl's hands. The Schnee heiress sent a look up at the still normal sized Jaune, "You better close your eyes for a bit while we check it out, and if you peek then you'll be sorry!" As tiny as the two girls are, it still wasn't an idle threat. The blonde knight then closed his eyes as the two scurried to the nearby dresser and to get behind the curtain and look in the closet.

"Okay lady-killer, you can open those peepers of yours!"

"No don't…!"

The Ice Queen tried to say, but it was too late. Yang smiled as she and Weiss barely managed to get behind the curtain just as Jaune opened his eyes, only catching the retreating backsides of the two girls. While he enjoyed the site, despite the fact that they were now the size of large dolls, he waited with his face matching a certain huntress' hood while the two were changing. After a while, he got the clear from Weiss that the two were dressed.

"Well, bottoms up." Jaune said, drinking his fill and proceeding to shrink. Like Weiss and Yang before, he was now covering his modesty while leaving his clothes behind.

"Truly bizarre, a drink that shrinks the drinker down to my size." The cricket commented as he made sure to document it and the all else he had seen inside his journal. "Wonderland truly is a unique world."

"Yeah, that's the word for it." Jaune called from underneath his clothes. Thankfully, the girls gave him privacy to make his way in the dresser and pull out the dollsized copy of his clothes. "What are we going to do with our clothes just lying on the ground like that?"

"Maybe we can pick them back up after we turn back to normal." Yang said as she stretched to see how easy flowing and flexible the "doll" clothes were.

"About that, how do we know if we'll get back to our original size? I don't want to be stuck the size of a doll all of my life. I'll never be able to face anyone at the school ever again." Weiss spoke in worry.

To answer the Schnee's question the helpful cricket continued to read the fine print on each of the bottles. "It says here that there are two ways to reverse the effects. You'll need to find a certain magic in this world that will make you grow much like this bottle here made you shrink. Also fret not, magic from another world fades as soon as you leave that world." Jiminy explained.

"So we won't be stuck as Mini-Me's if we leave this world." Yang said, satisfied with how her clothes felt. "I love my name but I don't want it literal."

"Goddammit Yang…Well that's some good news for once, I was thinking this day couldn't get any worse." Weiss spoke.

As soon as those words left her mouth a group of familiar shadows appeared along the ground, the Shadow heartless, as Jiminy called them. Appearing as well in flashes of darkness is a new type of heartless as well. These heartless had smooth, conical, red bodies with the Heartless emblem emblazoned on their chest. The top of their bodies flares outward and forms a jagged "collar" below the Heartless' spherical, pitch black head. They also wore conical, yellow hat that has a jagged brim and a thin, curled tip. Like many Heartless they've seen, they had the glowing yellow eyes. Also, they had seemingly useless feet sporting three small, thin toes.

"You had to say something Ice Queen." Yang said as she rushed out and smacked a Shadow and destroyed it. Weiss was also ready with Myrtenaster at her side as she entered the battle to work on shadows as well.

"Watch out!" Jaune said as he guarded a blow from a Soldier that arrived, saving Weiss from a surprise attack. That was when the Red Nocturnes began to spin and shoot fireballs at the trio. Yang fired rounds into the air to meet the flames to cancel them out. Jaune noticed one of the fireballs heading for the Schnee Heiress, and blocked it with his keyblade. Weiss then stabbed the ground making glyphs appear around the room. As Weiss began to set up, Yang's irritation grew as the heartless floating around her and her bullets.

"Stay still dammit!" Yang shouted as her anger grew. Weiss started to fire icicles that quickly tore through the floating Heartless. A single Red Nocturne that was angering Yang made the mistake in getting close to Jaune, who had just finished off another Soldier, then sliced through turning it into a black and red mist with a heart floating up.

Yang, I hate to say this but turn off the flames. These heartless heal from fire, the more flames you throw around, the more these things heal and the longer we have to fight them!" Weiss fired more ice at the Nocturnes and smiled as they all died instantly. She was far from mastering the blizzard spell but she can still replicate it with her dust and semblance. Luckily they found out The Red Nocturnes, died instantly to ice.

"How?! These things are annoying the hell out of me?!" Yang punched the ground, missing a few Shadows that slinks back into the darkness. Firing her weapon, she took a page from Ruby and let the force of Ember Celica send her into the air where she took out another set of the flying heartless. Landing back on the ground she then aimed a solid punch on the Shadow that had evaded her earlier.

Jaune, after cutting a few Nocturnes of his owned, focused on the last set of Shadows on the ground. Pointing his keyblade towards them, he decided to give range a try. "Fire!" Much like how he saw with Leon, a fireball was created at the tip of the keyblade before firing like a rocket. The flaming missile locked on and set the Shadow on fire before it faded into ashes. Grinning, Jaune began aiming at the surviving heartless.

'So this is what having a weapon that's also a gun feels like. I can see why everyone enjoys it!'

"Should we stop him?" Weiss asked seeing Jaune get trigger happy as he annihilated the remaining heartless.

"Let him have his moment. This is the closest he's had to weapon that shoots, let him have fun so long as he doesn't aim at us." Yang said, the flames now gone from her hair as her anger disappeared. They decided to take a break once the Heartless have all disappeared.

"Now, let's check out that door." Yang said returning to the doorknob that told them about the bottle, "Hey, we're small enough to fit in the door right?" The Blonde Bombshell asked, but all she got was snoring.

"We need to get through, so would you kindly open up for us?" Weiss tried diplomatically, but the doorknob just snored some more.

"Um, please let us through?" Jaune asked, but also received a snore. Yang was getting tired of the snoring that the doorknob was doing, considering the racket that occurred from fighting Heartless.

"Let, us, THROUGH!" Yang was ready to punch through, but the Doorknob just snored even louder. The Blonde Bombshell was irate and would have tried to punch her way through, if Jaune and Weiss hadn't held her back.

"Come on, let me ring that Door's bell!" Yang yelled as she struggled in their grips.

"One, that pun was bad even for you. And two, as much as I like to turn that door into firewood we were specifically ordered by Professor Goodwitch to not mess around with the order of the worlds. I think killing a sentient door ornament counts as that." Weiss said, wanting the berserk blonde to calm down. "Strange as this place is, a room is a room. Maybe there is a window we can go through or maybe another entrance we haven't found?"

"You think the Rabbit would have a secret passage whenever his door is cranky?" Jaune asked as he spied around the room for any clues on how to find their rabbit acquaintance. There was a fireplace, but there was no way they could use it at either heights, several plants, the tunnel where they came and...

"Jiminy, since you're up there, do you see what's behind that bed in the corner?" Jaune asked as he slowly climb up the chair to meet the cricket on the table.

"Hmm, most peculiar. It looks like it's attached to the wall, not the floor. And you're right, maybe that's a hole that leads past the door." The journalist, Jiminy agreed as the two looked from the table. "I'm afraid at this size there is nothing that can be done." As the boys tried to think of a way, the girls quickly made their way to the table.

"Great, now that we know where it is, but now we're supposed to grow back?" Weiss asked.

"We could leave the world, but I think we become tiny when we come back." Yang hypothesized. The magic faded when they left the world, not disappear entirely.

"Ah, a bunch of fleas, high but not low." A mysterious voice spoke to them.

"Who's there?!" Jaune asked as they all asked, preparing their weapons.

"Why not try the cake behind you to grow." As quickly as it spoke, the presence and the voice vanished.

"Cake?" They all turned around to see a small cake behind them.

It looked like a normal cake, but with white frosting and blue frosted words saying 'eat me'.

"Maybe this is like the drink? We eat this to grow back, and the drink lets shrink." Jaune hypothesized, and Yang giggled a bit at the unintended rhyme.

"Maybe, but who's going to-" Weiss started until they heard munching and both the Knight and Schnee turned to see Yang snacking on a bit of the cake.

"Yang, what did I tell you about eating strange things!?" Weiss screamed as Yang started to grow.

*SNAP!*

As Yang grew, her 'doll clothes', started to become tighter and tighter, until they ripped apart completely, exposing Yang to the world. Weiss immediately held a hand over Jaune's eyes, since she couldn't cover the Bombshell's modesty, even if Jaune already got a glimpse at the perky mounds that men in Beacon would covet a glimpse and gained the knowledge that Yang's drapes matched her carpets.

"Well, I'm a big girl again." Yang smiled as she decided to just take care of the bed, and the reason why she decided to take care of the task nude was because she was going to shrink herself again. Putting on clothes just to take them off three seconds later seemed like a waste of time.

After pushing against the bed the blonde saw it slide into the wall, somehow becoming flat against the surface. Not in the mood to figure out how that worked she turned to see a small hole with light leading out the other side. Sunlight and something green was on the other side of the tunnel.

"You guys were right, there's a hole here leading outside. It must be the rabbit's back up hole or something." Yang explained to the ice queen and the two blinded males she had in her company.

"Great, now if you could just put your clothes back on then we can move on in this ridiculous world." Weiss said, barely holding onto her sanity as they continue to explore the world. Talking animals and furniture was one thing, but foods that make you shrink, beds that vanish, and clothes ripping was too much to bear.

Yang smiled a bit before gathering up their clothes. It would make things easier to have their clothes ready when this adventure was over. Maybe find a way to not have to strip naked to progress.

"Sure thing Mom, just making sure our clothes aren't scattered everywhere. I know you'll whine about not being able to find your frilly underwear when we grow back." Grabbing the bottle, Yang drank another shot that allowed her to shrink back to doll size and grab a copy of her clothes.

"Stop talking about my choice of underwear." Weiss said angrily, letting go of the blushing males now that Yang was out of sight and getting decent.

"At least now I know you're a natural..."

"Yang!"

"Um...not to cut into your bonding but you do have a rabbit to find." Jiminy said as he hopped back up to the table to where the bottle is. "I'll shrink again so that I cannot be seen and continue to write my journal, though that Rabbit seems to be the only clue we've have on this world."

"So we just have to keep following him, maybe run into this Queen he's talking about." Jaune said, now on his feet after being blinded and dropped by Weiss. Yang had now exited the changing room with a new copy of her outfit. After Jiminy shrank again and hopped into his hoodie the trio then made their way down the tunnel.

*Sniff*

Yang took a smell of the air coming from out the tunnel. "It smells like grass and...Roses?!"

"Does that mean Ruby is here?" Jaune asked. The smell could be from the petals of her semblance or maybe a perfume.

"No, Ruby would wear something with strawberries." Weiss said, shutting down that possibility.

"And how do you know what perfume or soap my little sister prefers Weiss. Do tell?" Yang asked with a curious grin.

"Well your little sister always ends up taking my soap by accident. She made it up by getting me a bottle of hers, I have nothing against strawberries but I prefer my own soap." Weiss answered. By the time their banter ended, the three came out of the darkness and into the light, in front of the garden of a castle.

The three, plus Jiminy, looked around and noticed that there were many rose bushes.

"Red roses huh? Ruby might like this place." Jaune commented until he noticed that the roses were painted red, especially since the evidence of a paint brush and red paint was lying around. Weiss noticed the white roses as well.

"White roses painted red? Whose idea was that?" Weiss asked, still not sure how to even think about this world. It had no sense at all, and now she had seen one more thing that was even stranger: someone painted the roses red.

"Hmm, for some reason I want to say that we're getting curiouser and curiouser." Yang added before they heard the sound of a trumpet.

"Court is now in session. The Queen of Hearts now residing." The one who made the announcement was the White Rabbit. The Queen of Hearts they noticed was a rather heavyset woman with black hair, with a bun at the end, wearing black and red with a heart shaped fan. But the queen wasn't the only one they noticed. A girl that was even younger then Ruby was standing on a platform in front of the queen. She had blonde hair and a blue dress with white stockings, and looked to be eleven, maybe thirteen at the oldest.

"I'm on trial? But why?" Came the scared voice of the girl as the three continued to listen in on what was happening.

From her throne, the Queen stared down and pointed her heart shaped scepter at the young girl. "This girl is the culprit. There's no doubt about." She said, slamming her scepter down like a Judge would with a gavel. "And my reason is... because I say so that's why!"

"Y-you're majesty, if I'm in my rights to say this. That is unfair!" The three looked on and saw a familiar face standing and testifying against the rotund Queen.

A pair of long brown rabbit ears stood up from the person's long brown hair. She was wearing a white, form-fitting top, with a collar lined with a black and pink ribbon tied neatly below. She also appears to be wearing a dark-brown, long-sleeved jacket that comes down around her chest over the shirt. Her leggings consist of two parts: a pair of dark-brown shorts and a pair of black form-fitting leggings that come to just below her hips. She wears golden spaulders and vambraces, as well as a similar belt. The tops of her leggings are edged with a similar band, and her heel and toe are likewise protected.

"Is that, Velvet?!" Jaune spoke in surprise. Yang and Weiss were his first clues but he didn't stop and think how many other Beacon students were out there besides his group friends. Still he was glad that the rabbit Faunus was alive and seems to be testifying in court.

"I didn't think we would run into any other huntresses, but this is a good sign! Maybe her team is nearby, or maybe other students like Ruby!" Yang was about to bolt forward before Weiss tugged at her top.

"Not yet, a court is going on. Remember we're not supposed to interfere with the order of other worlds." Weiss reminded them.

"Maybe we can make an exception Weiss, I mean another Huntress and a friend is out there getting involved." Jaune said.

* * *

(Court)

* * *

"I agree, this is most unfair. I didn't do anything!" The young girl spoke beside Velvet.

"Well, do you have anything to say in your defense? Do you have any evidence that shows that your words hold merit over mine?" The Queen called to the two, waiting impatiently.

"You've just suddenly ordered your guards to capture my friend and are giving her a trial without even telling us what she did wrong. I-If you just give us time..." Velvet tried to reason with the ruler of Wonderland.

"Plus I have done absolutely nothing wrong!" Alice also added as she crossed her arms. "You may be the Queen, but that doesn't give you the right to be so..."

"So?" The Queen waited.

"Alice..." The bunny tried to stop her young friend.

"So, so mean!" Alice finished.

The Queen of Hearts slammed her fist angrily upon the judge's chair, "You dare defy me?!" Was the angered question, causing the rabbit Faunus and the girl to shiver at the angry tone of her voice.

"Guards…!"

"That's it." Jaune, oddly enough, said and rushed in. Yang followed with a smile, and Weiss stood for a second or two before rushing in, still trying to comprehend that the normally level-headed, albeit lacking, boy was doing something that Ruby or Yang might do: rush in to play hero.

"Hang on Queeney!" Yang called out, and managed to get soldiers, who were also playing cards, not humans or Faunus in armor themed like playing cards but actual living playing cards, moved to the side and let them pass.

"And who are you?" The Queen, stunned for moment at the intrusion asked as the three came up towards her.

"Um, we're just passing by, and couldn't help but wonder what's going on. So, what's the alleged crime?" Jaune started off as smoothly as he could, and with a bit of wondering if he'd might regret his actions...Nah. He wasn't likely to regret this, he'd regret it more if he didn't try to help anyone.

"The crime is the attempted theft of my heart, and that crime is punishable by the removal of her head. Now, off with her he-"

"Wait! You got the wrong person!" Jaune interrupted and Weiss moved closer to Jaune for a bit.

"I really think you should stop meddling. We aren't in our world." The Schnee whispered, but Jaune couldn't just let this go, and neither could Yang.

"Oh, then who is the culprit?" The Queen asked as Yang decided to speak up.

"It was the He-" She was cut off by the Schnee heiress, who would rather not meddle any further than they already had.

"Ixnay onyay ethay eartlesshay, orldway orderyay." Weiss whispered harshly to her team member as she reminded the second blonde. As fast as it would be to reveal the culprit, they didn't want to send this world into a panic and they only have their words against loyalty. It would be hard to convince a woman like the Queen.

"Okay" Yang whispered back after her hidden lecture. It really steamed her that they could do nothing but watch, especially if a fellow Huntress from her world was backing that girl up. It reminded her of days she would look after Ruby before she left for Signal Academy.

"If you do not have anything to say, then the court shall proceed with the..."

"Objection!" Jaune's voice called out and froze the proceedings. "I have something to say, how can Alice be the culprit? Are we just supposed to take your word for it? Where's your evidence, what if clues point towards someone else?"

"I didn't know Jauney had the balls to call out the Queen." Yang whispered back to Weiss.

"Someone has to, especially if no one in this court is." Weiss motioned to two playing card like soldiers rapidly trying to paint the white roses outside of the Queen's eyes red to match the red queen. "Anyone who usually opposes her probably faces punishment."

"So what makes Jaune's special?"

"No tyrant wants to be proven wrong and be accused of not being all knowing. If she just executes Jaune that brings suspicion that she's just trying to cover something up." Weiss explained. "So now she has to do something to save face."

"So you say that there is evidence of her innocence?" With a snap of her fingers a duo of card soldiers stomped in and pushed Velvet away as they pulled Alice with them and into a large birdcage next to the Queen's throne. "So I'll give you a chance to find your evidence. I will pause this court to give you time, but I do not like to be kept waiting. One, Three, bring a barrel for all I care. The next time I see you it better be with something to find the scoundrel who tried to rob me of my heart!"

"Sure thing your majesty." Jaune said as he then looked towards the girls, "So, where are we going to go to look for evidence?"

"I dunno. It's not like the Heartless just leave things that could be proof behind." Yang said, Weiss just sighing and giving up on not interfering here. Sure she didn't exactly like the idea of someone receiving punishment for doing nothing without actual evidence, but it was an order to not interfere.

"Look, I don't like the situation anymore then you do, but we shouldn't have interfered like that."

"Sorry Ice Queen, but we already did. I saw a movie once about dinosaurs and a guy said that anything studied changes, and that this kind of thing is an impossibility." Yang said as Jaune remembered that same movie, the one about the park and the dinosaurs.

"Oh yeah, I guess stepping on a world counts as interfering. We still need to find evidence, but I do-"

"Um, excuse me." Velvet interrupted the group as she made her towards them. The three looked at the rabbit Faunus as she shyly looked at them, "I think we might be able to find something in the forest nearby. Alice and I were there before winding up in the Queen's Garden."

"It's better than anything, we can start the search there." Weiss said, agreeing to the rabbit Faunus' words. If the Heartless really are involve then that is enough to get involved in this trial...she hopes. Technically they are Huntsmen and Huntresses on the field so they can make their own calls.

"You've been to this world first so lead the way Velvet." Jaune offered.

The bunny girl nodded and proceeded to lead them to the forest path, now guarded by one of the Queen's card soldiers. After getting clearance the now full Beacon team made their way into the Lotus Forest of Wonderland.

* * *

(Scene Change)

* * *

"So if the Heartless disappear just like the Grim from our world, how are supposed to get evidence from them?" Yang asked the difficult question as they cross the threshold into the woods.

"E-easier than you might think. You drank a potion to cross that room right?" Velvet asked.

"Yep, especially after that lazy rude doorknob wouldn't open up for us." Weiss said, recalling the embarrassing experience.

"It's because Wonderland doesn't follow the regular rules we're used to in our world or even where Alice is from. We ended up seeing a lot of usual things before making it to the castle." Velvet reminisced. "In fact, it was thanks to someone else we even made it to the Queen's Castle without getting lost."

"Oh, who helped you girls?"

As soon as Jaune asked that question a grinning cat's head appeared in front of him causing him to jump back in shock. The grin seemed to grow even wider before the disappeared and reappeared all around them, growing more amused by the three's locks of shock and surprise. The head finally stopped floated and rested on a stump where the rest of appeared. Grabbing its head, the cat reattached it and looked too the visitors.

"Who would that help be? Well that would be me."

"What is that thing?!" Weiss said in horror.

"Ufufu, What or Who indeed." The cat said with its eternal grin.

"I-it's ok guys, this is the one who helped us!" Velvet calmed them down. "He calls himself the Cheshire Cat, I know he seems strange but he is really nice and wise. It was thanks to him Alice and I were able to navigate through Wonderland."

"The Cheshire Cat knows much, but doesn't always tell. You seek the shadows yes?" The Cheshire Cat asked as he looked at the group. The four looked at the cat intensely before answering.

"Yes, if you mean the Heartless." Weiss said as the cat kept his smile.

"Shadows are here, and there, and everywhere else. But the evidence can be found. There are five pieces of evidence in the forest and its paths. Four's a synch to find, but the fifth will not be so easy but does offer a reward if found. Happy hunting." The cat said before disappearing into thin air.

"Should we trust this cat?" Weiss asked, but that's when she got surprised herself.

"To trust, or not to trust. I trust you'll have the answer." That was when Cheshire appeared and disappeared at once. It was definitely different from how things were.

"I say we trust him. That means we have five pieces of evidence to find in this place, but what did he mean by a reward for the fifth?" Yang asked and that confused the group.

"Well, he helped Velvet, so I think we can trust him." Jaune said as Velvet smiled and agreed. Now they needed to find evidence and fast, before the queen got too impatient and decided to behead Alice just because.

Yang then clapped her hands together surprising everyone. "Well let's split up gang!"

"Split up, are you insane? We're in a forest in a new world and you want us to split up, did the fall rattle your brain too hard?" Weiss said.

"We don't have much time and we need to collect as much evidence as we can. Two teams can comb these woods faster than one team can. And if we get lost we can always use our scrolls." Yang said as she brought out her scroll. "We can even use these things to map our course so we'll be fine."

"Yang has a point Weiss, since the Heartless are behind this we can't leave this alone and we can't let a girl like Alice be punished by something she didn't do." Jaune said. Call it a hero complex, but Jaune couldn't stand by and let a child be accused and executed for a crime she never committed, especially if he could help. Seeing it was two against one, the group turned to Velvet for her input.

"It would be better to split up, at least in two groups. Knowing the Queen's temper, we may not have a lot of time to search the forest. One group can search this end of the woods and the other can search deeper." Velvet said, losing her nervousness.

"That's three to one, so who goes with who?" Yang asked.

That was the question that required some thought. There was the fact that two individuals would make themselves more vulnerable to the Heartless, but they needed to split up and be quick.

"Well, how about we draw straws or something similar?" Jaune suggested and that was a decent idea, but what would they use for straws or whatever they would draw?

"Nah, how about this...eeny meeny miney, Weiss! Looks like we'll be searching this end of the forest. Jaune and Velvet search the other side." It was different, but the Yellow Dragon already decided teams.

"Alright, let's go Velvet, and see if we can find some clues." Jaune said, and the Rabbit Faunus nodded. The only one that would've had any complaints on the arrangement was Weiss, and that's because she wanted to make sure the mission was a success, since Jaune was the only one that could use the Keyblade.

"Wait I still think we should..." Weiss was then cut off by Yang placing her hand over the heiress' mouth. Weiss continued to protest from behind the gag as Yang pulled the heiress into another direction.

"Just chill out Weiss, Jaune can take care of himself and Velvet is a year over us. They'll be fine and I'll keep you safe from all the monsters." Yang teased her before waving at the two. "Keep in touch with the Scroll and meet us back at the entrance in a half hour. Text us if you find something."

"On it." Jaune gave her a thumbs up as he and Velvet journeyed further into the forest. Once they were far enough that they couldn't hear their companions Jaune decided now was the best time to get some answers from the Rabbit eared sophomore.

"So Velvet, how did you wind up in this world and where is the rest of your team?" Jaune asked.

"I was in Vale with my team's leader Coco when the world started to collapse. We separated to try and get as many people as we could to airship ports so that they could evacuate at Beacon. Coco saved my life, but then I fell down this dark hole and ended up in Wonderland." Velvet recalled her last experience. Even now she wondered if Coco and the rest of Team CFVY made it off Remnant. "I then met Alice and I've been protecting her since we met."

"Protected her, from what?"

As if punishing him for his curiosity, Shadow Heartless began to appear behind them. As the two got ready a new heartless appeared in the air and surrounded them. Blue Rhapsodies circled around the two almost like vultures.

"First time I've seen the flying ones." Jaune said as he summoned the Keyblade.

"They're different from the ones on Remnant. They use ice magic, almost like the dust Weiss uses." Velvet then held out her hand and fired a ball of fire directly at them. Some of the Heartless dodged but the ones caught in the flames were disintegrated. "Those are weak to fire magic so I'll hold them off." Velvet said.

"That leaves the ground ones to me." Jaune said as he shifted to a one handed sword stance.

That's when Jaune started hacking at the shadows, and he certainly felt stronger then when he was on Remnant, as it became much easier to take the Heartless out. Velvet was also having a fairly easy time fighting the Blue Rhapsodies, as her martial art style of fighting allowed her to quickly shorten the distance and start pummeling them with little problem.

"Wow, you're pretty good." Jaune said, impressed with the Faunus girl's martial arts.

"T-thank you." Velvet said, she didn't receive many compliments outside her team, due to dealing with the prejudice of being born a Faunus, but she did notice something that was near Jaune: one of the Antennas from the Shadows stayed, and she noticed a claw mark, "Jaune, is it alright to call you that?"

"Sure. Friends are just strangers you haven't met yet right?" Jaune asked, and the Rabbit girl smiled brightly. Jaune definitely liked that smile on her.

"Well, I think we found a couple of clues: an antenna and some claw marks." Velvet pointed out, and for some reason the claw marks were oddly easy to just peel off and hold on to. Velvet picked up the Antenna before the two started looking for more clues.

* * *

(Scene Break)

* * *

"Ugh, what's with this stench!?" Weiss said as she and Yang started looking for clues, and unfortunately the first clue they found so far was some serious Heartless stench.

"Guess there's no more reason to bathe when you've fallen to darkness." Yang said as they proceeded to seal the stench away.

"I don't care what happened to them, that odor has no reason to exist! As if I didn't need another reason to hate those things!" Weiss ranted as the three continued their searches around the beginnings of the forest. "Hopefully Jaune and Velvet are having much better luck than we are."

* * *

(Scene Change)

* * *

"So, what were those things you shot at the Heartless?" Jaune asked, referring to the fire the Rabbit Faunus was throwing around earlier. He had only seen Leon use fire like that and his was much larger than Velvet's. "That can't be just plain old dust, it wouldn't explain why Leon can use it when he's from a different world."

"I don't know who Leon is, but what I used was magic." Velvet began to demonstrate as her hand let out a soft green glow. A few flowers appeared over their heads and released a green mist that healed their wounds. "It was in a book that appeared next to me when I woke up. I decided to practice in it since my weapon was damaged during the Heartless attack."

As Velvet pulled out the book from her pouch and showed it to Jaune she almost jumped out her skin when Jaune gasped loudly. "That looks exactly like the book we got before we left Traverse Town! They're even written by the same author!" Jaune pointed out the styled "M" that was placed on the book. "So this book teaches magic. Now I wish we had the chance to study it before we had to leave."

"W-well, anyone can learn magic if they have enough aura and the aptitude to learn. I can teach you some if the spells if you would like?" Velvet offered.

"Sure, I think Weiss showed interest in learning magic as well. I only know the fire spell." Jaune mentioned, remembering when he went a little gun-crazy with the Fire magic he learned earlier, "Plus, it's cool to learn new things sometimes."

"I agree." Velvet commented, and while she was a little disheartened that Jaune would invite Weiss, she wasn't going to exclude her. She didn't hate the Schnee Heiress like the bulk of the White Fang did on principle, but she was cautious around her. She had no real opinions of the Schnee heiress other than she was a little cold and intimidating. Still, she was okay with Jaune since he seemed bright and sociable, someone you'd want to be friends with. Although, there were some thoughts going in Velvet's mind that were...less then wholesome, but the Chronicler of the journey had to make his voice known.

"Well, if we can't find any more evidence, then we should head back with Weiss and Yang. After all, it's best to keep the group together." Jiminy commented as the two figured it was time to head back, and the Cheshire cat said that there were four pieces of evidence, and they found half.

* * *

(Scene Change)

* * *

"Alright, so what did you two find?" Weiss asked a little harshly, but that was more from the fact that she and Yang had somehow managed to get that bottle of nasty Heartless stink.

"We found some claw marks and an antenna from one of those shadow Heartless." Jaune answers as he shows them the evidence that he and Velvet kept safe in plastic bags. "We've made it to what looks like a house but we haven't gone inside the yard yet." The knight explained the situation along with the rabbit.

"The house belongs to two citizens called the Mad Hatter and the March Hare. Alice and I met them for a while before we went to the Queen's Castle." Velvet added.

"Do you think the Heartless would be this far out into the forest?" Yang asked them over Weiss' shoulder.

"I can't hear any noise. The last time we were here the two were celebrating Unbirthday with the Dormouse."

"Unbirthday?" Yang and Weiss asked.

"Don't ask, the two are eccentric so we should have been able to hear them halfway into the forest." Velvet answered. "It is a bit unsettling that we've haven't been able to hear them. I don't want to assume the Heartless got to them."

"You two should check it out just in case." Yang shot in.

"Yang, we don't have enough time to check on every single person in the forest. We should take the evidence we have to court before the Queen decides to execute Alice. Or have you forgotten the reason why we're here?" Weiss tried to remind her.

"Three you have indeed, but is it all that you need?" A voice spoke and made Velvet jump to alert as she and Jaune spotted the floating, smiling cat.

"Cheshire." Velvet said, familiar with the antics of the grinning Cheshire Cat. The Cheshire Cat was floating in the air lazily like he was just watching.

"I think we have enough, but do you mean there's more?"

"As I said before, the evidence is in pieces four. Three you have found, but one more may break the fate." The Cheshire Cat answered the Schnee heiress as the three wondered what he meant, "The last one is tricky to find, but a little exploring will make you fine. Perhaps the forest is connected to the room with the doorknob that slumbers?" That was something that they didn't think about.

"I suppose one more piece wouldn't hurt...and he's gone." Yang said as the cat disappeared in front of them with only a clue.

"Maybe's there's a path in this forest that leads back to the room? I guess we need to start looking up, but how?" Jaune asked as Velvet had an idea.

"M-maybe we can use the mushrooms to get a ground advantage?" The rabbit Faunus suggested and pointed to a mushroom that was certainly larger than the normal stuff, or was it only large because they were small?

"The mushrooms, like stepping stones in water." As Jaune thought aloud he climbed the nearest mushroom and tested it to see if it could hold his weight. Feeling it safe, he gave the thumbs up to Velvet who jumped ahead of him onto the next highest mushroom. 'I guess that's one of the perks to being a rabbit Faunus.' He thought, admiring Velvet's jumping ability.

Taking the lead, Velvet hopped again and landed on a giant lily pad that she found was solid enough to hold her as well. "Maybe it's because we're so small, our weight doesn't affect the plants." Turning around she gave Jaune a sign to show him it was solid.

"Ok, a far of a gap but I think I can cross it." Backing up a bit to get a good start. Jaune jumped from his mushroom to the next and then took another leap for the lily pad. The blond knight saw he wasn't going to make it and reached out as far as he could, only to still miss the edge of the leaf. However, before he could fall back to the ground another hand caught him.

"I got you Jaune." Velvet grunted out as she struggled to pull the blond's weight. Jaune then helped her out be reaching with his other hand to the leaf and then climbed up with Velvet's help.

"Thanks Velvet, it would have been a pain to start over again."

"Y-your welcome..." Realizing she was still holding his hand, the Faunus dropped it with a red face and then started to look around, away from Jaune's looks of confusion. "W-we should be able to g-get a good glimpse of the forest now."

"If only we were our original sizes, we'd just stomp our way through the Heartless here." Walking forward, Jaune looked around the forest as well until he saw a glowing chest. "Ugh, Velvet, have you noticed this box here?"

"Box?" Velvet looked from her side to Jaune who was investigating a glowing chest. Reminded of Alice's curiosity she tried to open the chest only to find it sealed shut. "It's locked shut. I wonder what could be inside."

"Let me try." Summoning the keyblade, Jaune remember how he opened the chest in the Hotel. "Not only is this thing a Heartless exterminator, it can also unlock any doors and locks." Tapping the top of the chest three times, the two heard a soft click as the lock came undone and the chest opened. Just as it did, three white blurs shot out and knocked Jaune to the ground.

"Jaune!"

"Velvet, hahaha, help, my face can't take it hahaha" Jaune tried to say as he had three small dogs around him licking his face in what he could guess was gratitude. He could barely even make out that the three pups were Dalmatians, same as the pair of adult dogs from Traverse Town.

"Puppies...in a chest?" Velvet said while taking a small step bad. It wasn't that the dogs scared her, but more her rabbit instincts making her want to avoid the pups. Still she straightened herself and decided to help Jaune by pulling two of the puppies into her arms. "Oh, they're so adorable." She smiled as they licked her cheeks.

"They belong to a family in the last world we were in." Jaune explained to her.

"Really?" Weiss asked, using her semblance to help her cross and Yang just used her gauntlets to help her cross.

"Huh, are these Dalmatians?" Yang asked as she saw the cute puppies, and at least two of them had nametags: Whizzer and Jewel.

"Yeah, you might not have met them yet, but the Dearlies are nice. These must be some of the puppies their missing." Jaune said as the puppies were sniffing the four.

"Oh, how many are we looking for?" Weiss asked as Jaune thought about it.

"Let's see, we've got three puppies here, so that leaves about ninety-six missing puppies." The three girls didn't register it at first, but then it hit them like a ton of bricks, with an iron anvil on top.

"NINETY-SIX DALMATION PUPPIES!?" The three girls practically shouted at once. Jaune really hoped he didn't go deaf after that...

* * *

(Scene Break)

* * *

"I'm starting to get confused about this world, and how did we end up back in this room?" Weiss asked as the strangeness of Wonderland confused the Snow Angel. Now they walked through the area that was on the wall, fighting a few Heartless, and now they managed to land on a faucet.

"I can see claw marks over there!" Velvet pointed out, and there were claw marks on the cabinet or stove area, too bad there was a bit of a jump to get there.

"Is there a safer way to make it to there?" Jaune asked aloud as he examined the room. From on top of the faucet they landed on was the evidence on the cabinet of the Bizarre Room. One large and precise jump would land them safely across, but any hesitation or bad leap can send them all the way to the bottom where they would have to start over again. They didn't have the time to repeatedly climb through the forest and get here again.

"I don't think I can make that jump Velvet and we don't have time for a practice leap." Jaune said slightly defeated. He wanted to get that last piece of evidence to help their chances, but what was the point of helping Alice if he didn't make it to the trial on time.

"Maybe, but I can." Velvet took a few steps back to prepare herself. "I can jump across, and then if you reach out to me I can pull you across Jaune."

"Ok, sounds like a plan. Let's go for it." Jaune said relieved.

"I mean, it would make sense if you don't want to trust me bu...Huh?" Velvet stopped herself. "Just like that, without any reason?"

"We don't have time to try and find another way around and you are the more experienced Huntress since you're a year ahead of both RWBY and JNPR." Jaune said with a smile. "So of course I'll trust you, now let's grab that box and make it to the trial before the Queen tries to take off Alice's head."

"R-right!" Getting over her shock, Velvet judged the jump and took a running start before leaping off the edge of the faucet. Gracefully landing, she turned around to watch Jaune as he prepared for his jump. Not hesitating, Jaune took a running start himself and jumped off with a hand reached out. Quickly grabbing him, Velvet struggled not to fall off the edge herself as she and Jaune pulled themselves to safety.

"Whew, that was too close. If only I could swing my weapon to get extra air or use weapon recoil like everyone else." Jaune let out a breath of air he didn't know he was holding.

"W-Well, I haven't seen many students in Beacon brave enough to fight with just a weapon and a shield. And if what I heard was true you found a way to fight with a shield that no one has ever done here." Velvet reminded him.

"Yeah but still..."

"I know what it feels like...to doubt yourself I mean. But everyone has their own special way of fighting Jaune, you've just started to find yours." Velvet smiled.

Jaune couldn't help but smile too. "Thanks Velvet."

"Well what do we have here, look at you two bonding."

"Cheshire Cat?!" Velvet said in surprised as the cat simply appeared on the faucet they once stood on.

"Though now isn't the time for dawdling. Don't you have somewhere to be?" The cat reminded them.

"Right, we need to get back to the trial to save Alice." Jaune said.

"She may be innocent, but what about you?" If possible the cat's grin grew even wider.

"What do you mean?"

"I won't tell, but I will give you something to make your fight against darkness much easier." Uncurling its tail, a flash of blue light flew from his fur and into the pack of supplies Jaune had at his side. Seeing Leon's gift now glowing, he opened it to see a new page where a spell appeared: Blizzard.

Jaune read the spell itself, and was thankful that the instructions always came with how to cast it.

"Well, we better not keep snow angel and Yang waiting, but thanks for helping us out." Jaune said, and Velvet nodded. She was happy that she was praised, and not once did he discriminate against her for being a Faunus. There weren't many teams that were willing to treat her so nicely, and not many guys that did so either. The two decided to drop to the floor and head for the court. Too bad that they had to fight some heartless to get through.

* * *

(Scene Break)

* * *

"Well? Where is your evidence!?" The Queen of Hearts demanded as she was getting impatient.

"Please your majesty. Just a little longer, and I'm sure that my companions will return soon...Even if one of them is trying to do something that I can only think Nora would try." Weiss spoke as she mentioned to a certain blonde bombshell dragon that was somehow juggling on top of a large ball as some sort of distraction. Where she got the ball and juggling pins, the Snow Angel would never know, but rather then question the weirdness, she just decided to roll with it. Much safer to her sanity to just not ask too much then to try.

"I'm here, and why is Yang on a large ball with juggling pins?" Jaune asked as Weiss just shook her head.

"Don't ask me. I don't even know or want to know where she got it from."

"I just found it over yonder, there's a sign that has it." Yang answered and decided to stop the strange routine, and yes, somehow there was a signpost that said 'Wander over Yonder'...it was better to not ask.

"Right...anyway, we're here and we brought our evidence to show that Alice is innocent!" Jaune said as he took the stand. While confused, he was a bit thankful since it gave him a chance to catch his breath after running all the way back from the Bizarre Room, Heartless and all. "Yang...can you get off the ball please?"

"Got ya!" Hopping off, she then kicked the ball back over yonder and tossed the pins after it. "Ok, floor's all yours."

The Queen gave out a huff. "Now that her display is over, entertaining or not, do you have your evidence or should I end this farce of a trial before it can even begin?" She urged on with her condescending voice.

Velvet, carrying the evidence, walked to the front of the court and placed them all gently down in a line before the judge, jury, and audience. Before going back to her friends she looked to Alice. "I promise, we will get you out of that cage. Just wait a little while longer." She spoke, trying to put her friend at ease.

"Ms. Velvet..." Alice stopped, both from not having anything to say and from the Queen banging her gavel repeatedly.

"No speaking with the criminal! Back to your place rabbit or off with your head!"

Wanting to not cause a ruckus before helping the girl, Velvet retreated back to her fellow students. Her ears were able to catch a soft thank you from the young blond girl before she turned to look at the Queen. Seeing tensions already high, Jaune cleared his throat to get attention back on him and began his statement.

"So, from the evidence you can clearly see..."

"What are you doing?" The Queen of Hearts looked at the knight.

"Uh, presenting the evidence?"

"That is not how we conduct law here in Wonderland!" The Queen cut him off.

"What, then what kind of judicial system does your kingdom have?" Weiss protested.

"The Law of the Queen! Now let me show you how this trial will commence!" With a snap of her fingers the four pieces of evidences were bound and wrapped up into identical pink boxes.

"Objection! Uh, I'm no lawyer but doesn't the court have to see the evidence for this to be a trial?" Yang asked. While she was not an expert she did try her hand at several Phoenix Wright games Ruby left around so she did get an understanding.

"Overruled. Now, grant the guards the evidence and we shall see innocence or guilt." The Queen commended and the team was forced to give their evidence. The four pieces of evidence was presented to the Queen. She looked and saw four boxes with the evidence, "Hmm, it seems you collected quite a bit of evidence. Guards, present my evidence." The guards presented the only piece of evidence.

"Well, it would be a bother to check all of them. So we shall scramble the evidence and you shall pick one. Guilt or innocence will be decided on that." The Queen of Hearts finished.

"That isn't fair!? How is it just to pick on one?" Weiss said as she looked at the suddenly scrambled evidence.

"It is, or would you all want to have your heads chopped off?" The Queen asked, and they didn't have much a choice.

Velvet was quick to raise her hand. "May we be allowed to have a moment's recess your Majesty? The defense needs to discuss." She pleaded her best to try and give them time and to not have their heads roll from their bodies.

"I suppose we shall give you a few minutes to decide you're next action. I'll even make it easier for you, either choose a piece of evidence to present or you can walk away and leave the criminal to her fate." The Queen smacked her gavel to draw the attention off the court. "You have two minutes, to decide!"

Before Yang had a chance to argue, Weiss covered her mouth and brought her into a tight circle with Jaune and Velvet.

"Well it looks like the Queen of Mean isn't going to make this easy. Why are we not breaking Alice out of prison and just running?" Yang whispered to the group.

"World order remember, and we're doing this to prove Alice's innocence. We will just make it worse if we go in dust blazing." Weiss took a second to speak her idea. "I say we go with the trial."

Velvet nodded her head. "Weiss is right, it's our four to her one. That's an eighty percent chance of choosing the right evidence." The rabbit Faunus raised a point. "If choosing brings Alice closer to safety then we go with that."

"You saw what the Queen just did, they have enough wacky rules here. Who's to say that they'll take our evidence or even let Alice go if we prove she didn't do it?" Yang brought up. "She's practically making up the law!"

"She's a monarch, she can do that."

"But still..."

A loud bang, grabbed them from their group huddle. "Time is up! Decide now, or perhaps you've come to your senses and see this girl is guilty?!"

"We'll choose a piece of evidence. I'll-"

"I'll decide who among you shall choose! I pick you!" The Queen interrupted Weiss, who probably would have found a way to divine the evidence's location, and pointed at Jaune. The Key Bearing Knight gulped as he knew that she would give him only one chance, and whatever he picked, or even touch, would be the evidence that decided Alice's fate. He looked at each one before opening a box. A Soldier Heartless suddenly appeared, or rather an illusion as the Red Queen was befuddled at the spectacle.

"W-what was that!?" The tyrant monarch demanded as Jaune relaxed a bit at having some good luck for once.

"That would be the real culprit ma'am, and this means that Alice is innocent." Jaune and the girls mentally cheered and felt relief at proving Alice's innocence...until.

"Well, she may be innocent of attempted theft, but she is still guilty of the crime of defying the queen! Off with her head!" That was unfair as the cage Alice was in was covered and lifted above the rest with a tower now in the center. "Off with all of their heads!" The Red Queen added as the Heart Card soldiers and the Spade Card soldiers drew lances and axes ready to strike.

"So much for diplomacy Weiss. But..." Yang readied her gauntlets. "I've been wanting to punch something since I got here!" A lance thrust shot passed Yang. Before the Card soldier could pull back his weapon. Yang held it in place and pulled the card into a straight punch. The spade went flying into several other soldiers. "Hah, 52 card pickup!"

"This is not the time for jokes!" Weiss yelled back as she sword fought with another lancer. Sliding back from another clash, Weiss summoned a fireball and fired it at the card sending it ablaze.

"We have to rescue Alice!" Velvet called another kicking an axe soldier that was running towards. "Oh, I wish I didn't leave my weapon with Coco."

In the midst of the chaos, Jaune spotted a few of the soldier manning and protecting a crank tower with a chain connected to Alice's cage.

_'Maybe that's the thing keeping Alice!'_ Jaune thought as he then rushed towards the crank tower. A Heart Soldier tried to spear at him, and he managed to deflect it and strike back. A Spade tried to chop him to bits, but he dodged and used the opportunity to get close and start striking at the crank tower.

"Looks like Jaune's on to something!" Velvet called out as they saw Jaune destroying the tower.

"What is he up to?" Weiss wondered out loud as she dodged another spearing strike and countered with a Blizzard spell, also striking a few other card soldiers. They'd only be knocked unconscious and get up sometime later. As the girls fought, Jaune managed to destroy the tower, and soon enough something caught the eye of the queen.

_'Alice has been awfully quiet'_ The Red Queen of Hearts looked towards the cage and noticed something.

"She's gone!" With the Queen's statement, the curtain that was hiding the cage that Alice was in had moved and revealed that Alice was indeed gone.

"Gone?!" She didn't need her Faunus hearing to catch the Queen's outrage but Velvet ran through the frozen crowds of card soldiers towards the cell to see that Alice had indeed vanished during the chaos. All eyes and attention was focused on the chaos in the court, leaving Alice vulnerable behind the curtains.

"That makes no sense, she didn't pick the lock or break the cage so where did she go?" Yang asked as they inspected the cage. Even if there wasn't a struggle Alice couldn't had just vanished to safety. She would have done it before if she could.

"Guards, forget these meddlers, I want that child found and brought back here for judgment!" The Queen got command of her troops. "Find her, or off with all of your heads!" Quickly saluting, the card soldiers all paired off and began their search of the kingdom.

Weiss stared at the cards before turning back to her team. "I hate to agree with that ignorant monarch but she has the right idea. Whoever did this cannot have gotten far. Even those tiny heartless don't travel that far. They must have ran towards the room where we came in."

"Why go back to the room? Velvet asked.

"I think what Weiss means is, if we came to this world from the Bizarre Room then that how you leave this world too." Jaune hypothesized.

"Maybe, but we shouldn't overlook the Lotus Forest either." Yang suggested as they had to start on looking for Alice in this strange world.

* * *

(Scene Break)

* * *

"How was it that she wasn't in the room?" Weiss commented as they explored the room once more, but she wasn't there.

"Looking for shadows are we?" Came the voice of the Cheshire Cat as they looked at him, on a boulder that suddenly flew by and landed on a stump.

"We're looking for Alice not the shadows. Please Cheshire Cat, if you know something please tell us." Velvet said and Cheshire Cat just grinned.

"Perhaps the answer you seek lies with the shadow. Why not try the upside down room?"

"The upside down room? What is this feline talking about?" Weiss asked, now numb to the weirdness of the Cheshire Cat. It would seem nothing in this world surprised the heiress anymore.

"When we were looking for evidence, Velvet and I found an opening in the forest back to the room." Jaune told her and Yang. "The thing is it changed the room, we ended on a different part of it and the room was flipped."

"So we just need to find the exact exit the kidnapper went through?" Yang asked.

"There are too many entrances to search and splitting up right now would be dangerous." Weiss argued against it.

"Weiss..."

"Actually, there is one place we haven't checked." Velvet got their attention. "It's deep within the woods, where Alice and I met the Mad Hatter and the March Hair. Something tells me that is where we need to look."

"If it's in a dark part of the woods that just screams Heartless. What if they were after Alice and just swiped Queen of Heart Attacks by mistakes." Yang brought up the idea. Heartless were drawn to those with dark thoughts or pure kind hearts based on what they learned.

"Then we better start looking. Velvet, lead the way." Jaune said. Nodding her head, the senior student led the group through the forest where they could find the Mad Hatter's house.

* * *

(Scene Change)

* * *

"So this is the Mad Hatter's place? Weiss and I tried the door and it wouldn't budge no matter what we did. Got some sweet gifts for our unbirthdays though." Yang said.

"Unbirthday?"

"Don't Ask/Don't Ask." Weiss and Velvet interjected.

Shrugging his shoulders, the knight placed a hand on the door and found it unlocked. He pushed against it, bringing the team into a new part of the Bizarre Room. A dimly lit room with two tables. Each with a lantern.

"Over here my friends. The room is too dark, perhaps you could light the room to show the shadows." The Cheshire Cat came as they started to go forward, but they were ambushed by a group of Heartless. Soldiers, Red Nocturnes, Shadows, and a new one that was a large heavy-set Heartless that had an outfit on that looked like it was stretching out a bit, the Heartless Large Body.

"Looks like we've got company!" Yang said as the group started to take on the Heartless, but when Yang tried to throw a punch at the Large Body, it was absorbed by the fat of the enemy and pushed Yang back, "Tougher then you look huh?"

"Maybe we can use Magic to beat it?" Jaune suggested as Yang managed to dodge the claw swipes of the large Heartless. That was when Weiss, finishing off the Red Nocturnes and Soldiers with a blast of Blizzard as she turned and blasted Fire at it. It worked because it burned instead of physical. Velvet then found a new weakness by accident when she pushed off it to finish off some shadows.

"Magic huh?" Yang said as she blocked another swipe from the Large Body. Quickly gripping its arm she then tossed the Heartless up into the air. "Weiss you're up!"

Breaking away from the horde Weiss summoned a glyph in midair. Channeling her new spell, the normally snow white glyph was now a brilliant crimson color. With a silent command a much larger fireball launched from the glyph and ignited the Heartless and turning it to ashes. As the two worked on the larger threat Jaune and Velvet quickly dealt with the smaller Heartless around them. The rabbit Faunus kicked several Shadows towards Jaune who slashed them out of the air. Aiming his Keyblade at the sky he fired a spray of ice that destroyed the flying mages. Velvet heel kicked the final one before finishing it with an axe kick.

"Is that all of them?" Velvet asked as the team grouped up back together.

"Looks like it, man if I didn't know any better that cat was leading us into these ambushes." Weiss said.

"Let's not jump to any conclusions again Weiss." Yang said.

"First the court case with the evidence and now this, how do we know he's not the one bringing the Heartless here?" Weiss argued.

"Maybe I led the darkness here…or the darkness desires something here that you seek." The cat's smiling visage appeared on the two tables again. "All will become clear once you turn on the light." As he spoke a chair appeared near the table providing them a way to reach the floating feline.

"Am I the only one tired of his riddles?" Yang asked as they started climbing to the tables.

"Not as bad as your puns."

"Hey my puns are gold…like my hair!"

"Yang I swear to Oum…" Weiss said as she rained in her anger. It wouldn't do to get angry at Yang with the threat of danger still present. "So we have to turn on the light right?"

"There are no light switches in this room, believe me I've been around it several times…not always on the right angle." Velvet admitted. "The light has always been natural, b-but this is the first time I've seen this room and these lanterns."

"So we just need to light these lanterns." Yang said as she inspected them. "Ok, let's see some of that magic at work guys."

"Don't get to floored Yang." Weiss said as lit the closest candle, lighting up the room a little.

If possible the Cheshire Cat's grin grew. "No no it's too dim. If you want to see the shadows and what they truly want you must make it brighter."

"One bright room coming up." Jaune said as he used his magic to light the remaining candle, bringing the room's brightness back to normal. "Ok, so we lit the lanterns. Now what?"

"All the lights are on. You will see the shadows soon. In this room…but somewhere else." The Cheshire Cat said before vanishing.

"In this room, but somewhere else?" Yang asked.

"Um, remember when I said there are different ways into this room. Each from different angles." Velvet said as she pointed upward. The trio followed her finger to see the room they saw when they first arrived perfectly upside down.

"This world keeps making less and less sense!"

"Maybe there is where we will find these shadows the Cheshire Cat is warning us about." Velvet suggested.

"If that's true then we'll have to run all the way back through the forest and through the crazy Queen's kingdom just to get back to that room. We'll get exhausted fighting all the Heartless from here to there." Yang brought up a point.

Jaune then noticed something in the room behind them. "Not necessarily" The Arc pointed out as he found what seemed to be a latch holding something shut. "I think I just found us another exit to take."

"With the way this room is set it could send us all the way to the other side of Wonderland." Weiss said.

"Or, maybe towards where Alice is. The Cheshire Cat is not malevolent by any means. I'm sure he cares for Alice's safety and wants us to find her and bring her back." Velvet said as she walked over to Jaune. The two then released the latch and opened the door that led to a familiar green and the smell of…

"Roses…the Queen's garden!" Yang shouted in surprise.

"By Oum…I give up trying to understand this world. But I'll suspend my disbelief for after we rescue Alice." Weiss said as she led the charge with Yang and Velvet running after her. As Jaune went to follow he heard a faint whisper reach his ears.

"Perhaps the shadows are after the doorknob too."

"The doorknob…" Jaune hesitated but pushed those thoughts to the back of his head as he ran after his fellow teammates.

* * *

(Scene Change)

* * *

After avoiding the Queen's guards who were still on high alert for Alice, the team of Beacon students made their way to the Bizarre Room as quickly as they could. Inwardly, all of them were glad not to have to fight more Heartless along the way to the room. Yang had made sure to pass and few potions and another few bottles she had found called ethers to help the team regain their energy from their previous battle.

"I wish Ursa would drop some useful stuff after we slay them. Still having no monsters is its own reward." Jaune said after downing an ether bottle.

"If these Heartless were like Grim, then we could figure out why they do what they do and find a way to stop them. So that we can help keep more people and worlds safe." Velvet said. "So far the only man who has any clues has his research scattered across the different worlds."

"Tell us about it, we're lucky to even get the page that we have." Yang said. Of course they gave the report to Jiminy to keep in his journal, both for safe keeping and to keep all their information in one place.

"Maybe whatever these shadows are has another page." Weiss said as they finally made their way into the Bizarre Room and on top of the lone table. "So where is it, or did we get the Cheshire Cat's riddle wrong?"

"No, he said something about them going after the doorknob before we left." Jaune revealed to them.

"Yes…the lazy doorknob."

As if summoned just by mere mentioned of his name, the cat appeared once again. "The shadows will be here soon. If you're not prepared soon, too bad." The cat cheerfully said whilst in the middle of a whimsical dance.

"Hey, we've beaten a living suit of armor back in the last world. Show us what you got!" Yang yelled in a challenging tone.

To hers and everyone else's surprise something large fell from the ceiling and hit the ground. It shook the room, almost causing the group to trip and tumble off the table as the new arrival quickly got up and flipped back into the air and onto its feet. Once the table settled they were able to get a clear look at the "shadow" the cat spoke of. Towering and reaching the table, was a bizarre magenta and blue Heartless with long spindly legs leading into bright yellow boots and zigzagging steel blue arms that looked like they were made of paper. Its large head, or heads, as it had a long tube shaped head with five heads stacked on top of each other. Ten yellow eyes stared at the group as two juggling sticks appeared in its paper thin arms which it proceeded to toss and catch in midair.

_**Heartless: Trickmaster**_

"Ok…not what I had in mind." Yang said in surprise.

"What do you expect from this world?" Weiss said, already given up and numb to the bizarreness of Wonderland.

"Well whatever it is, get ready." Jaune said with Keyblade already in hand. Yang and Weiss followed his example by having their weapons at the ready as Velvet slipped into a fighting stance. This then prompted the Heartless to act as it swung at the table only for the four to jump over the juggling stick.

_(Heartless Theme: Dance to the Death)_

While still in the air, Yang cocked back her fist and fired at the heads followed by Weiss who fired dust shots from her sword. The bullets impacted and caused the Heartless to stumble away from the table before it gained is bearings. Ending its juggling routine, it's slammed the sticks hard on the table, destroying it in an instant.

Team JWY plus Velvet aimed towards the soft fabric of the chair before making their way to the floor before the Trickmaster could destroy that too in its rampage.

"Definitely can't judge a book by its cover." Jaune said as they scattered around the Trickmaster. Drawing his sword towards its legs, hits only seemed not to phase it but it did try to crush the blond like an ant. Rolling out of the way and avoiding the shockwave he aimed to launch a fireball at the Trickmaster's face only for it to nimbly dodge.

Yang had her own bad luck against the Heartless as it brushed off all blows she managed to hit against its chest. She ran in to punch the Trickmaster's chest only for it to smoothly bend backwards to avoid her before knocking her across the room with its juggling stick. Landing in a plant, the pot exploded showing a bitter and flaming Yang.

"You just made this personal." Yang slammed her fist together lighting her hair on fire. Shooting forward with her weapon's force, she landed a solid punch to the Trickmaster's head sending him flying towards the stove. The Heartless then slump over, as if stunned by the blonde's hit.

"The head, that's its weakness!" Weiss shouted seeing the Heartless' heads now on ground level for them to attack. Using her semblance, she fired a large icicle spear towards its exposed faces and destroyed the topmost head. Following her words, Velvet vaulted off the ground and launched two kicks to the next head, destroying them with ease.

Jaune, following their example hopped on the table to get clear shot at the Heartless. Thinking fast he threw his Keyblade at the same time Yang rushed in to finish the job. The two collided, the force destroying two heads and waking Trickmaster up, its final head now scowling in rage. Crossing its sticks, it's attacked the stove causing flames to shoot out into the air. Pulling its sticks back, the juggler's weapons were now aflame.

"I don't care what tricks you've got ten eyes. Bring it on!" Yang said as she fired a barrage from Ember Celica.

This time, Trickmaster didn't and dodge and took the blasts head on. Only this time it seemed impervious, as if it was absorbing Yang's attack.

"Yang stop! I don't think flames will work on him!" Velvet tried to warn the burning blonde.

To make matters worse, the Trickmaster stopped juggling and proceeded to fire a barrage of his own. Raining fireballs from its sticks towards the Beacon team, causing them to scramble for cover around the large chair.

"Great, he gets a power boost and can light things on fire. That's my thing!" Yang said as they shielded themselves from the flames.

"We can't get anywhere close to his head when it's like that." Weiss theorized.

"We don't have to get close, we just need to get rid of its flames. The Blizzard spell…!" Jaune realized.

"The spell you two got from that cat?" Weiss asked.

"Right, Weiss remember when you made a larger fire spell back in the other room? Can you do the same thing only using Blizzard magic?" Jaune asked as the chair rocked, absorbing another impact from the juggling giant.

"I could only do that because I got used to using Fire, I don't know if I can make a custom glyph for a spell I haven't used yet." Weiss answered.

"But it's ice, your most used dust. You can make something work, I know you can." Jaune turned from the girls towards the Trickmaster. "In the meantime, I'll buy you sometime and draw its attention away from you girls."

"Oh no Jaune, no one is going off to play hero while that thing is blowing its top!" Yang said. "At least not alone you're not, even if it's fire I'm more durable to it than you guys, we'll both go."

Jaune nodded and turned to Velvet. "Keep Weiss safe in case any stray shots come towards her."

The Faunus nodded her head. "I'll do my best."

"Ok…"

Jaune then ran out of cover and threw his weapon towards the rampaging Heartless' head. Trickmaster quickly blocked before turning to the blond knight whose weapon returned to him like magic. Before it could fire another fireball rebounded off its remaining head.

"Hey matchstick, over here!" Yang yelled as the two blonds ran with the Trickmaster on their heels.

Seeing the two's plan work Weiss tried to concentrate on the Blizzard spell for the plan to work, but her mind kept coming back to her worry for her team causing her glyphs to vanish.

"Damn it, how can they expect me to prepare a glyph with a spell I've never used under this kind of pressure?!" Weiss said as her anger and worry made it even much harder to focus on making a stronger ice glyph. That was until she felt Velvet's hand on her shoulder.

"I know the Blizzard spell. Can you make the glyph with someone else providing the magic?" Velvet asked with a hope filled voice.

* * *

(With Jaune and Yang)

* * *

Sliding across the ground after blocking a kick from the giant, Jaune rolled out the way to avoid another flaming swipe from Trickmaster's sticks. Preparing for another kick, it was stopped by Yang, who then uppercutted the appendage causing Trickmaster to stumble. A twin punch and stab from Jaune and Yang had it flying and landing on the ground. Before it fell, it fired another fireball that Jaune countered with a well-timed Blizzard which canceled it out.

"You sure Weiss will be able to prepare a glyph in time before we get toasted?" Yang asked seeing the Heartless get back on its feet.

"This is the Snow Angel we're talking about. If anyone can make a big enough blizzard it would be Weiss." Jaune said with full confidence.

"I still like Ice Queen better." Yang said as the Trickmaster approached in a blazing pursuit.

"I heard that!"

The Heartless hit a road block as a large glyph appeared in front of it that pushed it back away from the two blonds. As Trickmaster stood stunned, several larger and bright white glyphs appeared around it, each giving off a frosted haze around the flaming Heartless. The glyphs began to spray large hail stones at the Trickmaster, impaling it with ice and smothering out its flames with its sheer cold. Yang and Jaune looked to see Weiss holding Velvet's hand as she focused on her onslaught, both of them covered a white and blue light.

"Now, hurry up and finish it off!" Weiss yelled from across the room.

"With pleasure…Yang!" Jaune said with Keyblade ready.

"Aye aye sir!" Yang grabbed hold of him and with her semblance enhanced strength sent the knight flying towards the beaten Heartless. Jaune aimed himself straight and stabbed his Keyblade into its remaining head.

Trickmaster finally stopped moving as a bright light emitted from its head. From the top a large heart floated into the sky as the rest of it vanished in a brilliant light. With his support gone, June fell only for the table to reappear and break his fall.

"Ouch…not the most graceful of landings." Jaune said as he righted himself.

"Yeah, but we'll let this one slide lady killer."

Jaune turned and saw the rest of the girls had made their way up on the table and towards him. Yang who had answered him looked at the remaining specks of light where Trickmaster once stood. In her hand was a small black horn that had dropped from the Heartless' body.

"So we took care of the shadow, but…"

"Where's Alice?" Velvet asked, a bit exhausted. She and Weiss were on their last legs and were barely standing from supplying Weiss with her aura and magic

"Hey! What's with the racket?!"

The group looked down and even from their height could see that the grouchy voice came from the doorknob who was now awake.

"Can't a doorknob take a nap in peace without all that heat and noise?"

"Screw you, there's no way you slept through all of that!" Yang yelled back, making her way back down to the floor. The other three grudgingly and tiredly followed after her with Jaune helping the two tired girls.

"Hey door, I'm talking to you! Answer me before I ring your bell!" Yang said, tired and not in the mood to take anymore rudeness from a doorknob.

"Now don't get snippy with me young lady." The Doorknob let out a yawn. "You and your friends were causing such a ruckus, I still need my twelve hours of sleep." With a long drown out yawn, a light began to glow from with it. A similar light appeared when Jaune's Keyblade was summoned to his hand instantly.

"The key to this world was literally a door…Oum, I give up." Weiss said. Falling to ground in both physical and mental exhaustion with Velvet joining her.

Jaune just shook his head and proceeded to point his Keyblade at the yawning doorknob. A light launched from the Keyblade and into the lock, causing the lock to vanish and a satisfying shutting sound to resonate across the room. With its job done the doorknob slipped back into unconsciousness. Falling out of the Doorknob was a small emerald block that Jaune proceeded to picked up.

"Ok, one job half done. We just need to…find Alice." Jaune said as he felt fatigue hit him.

Before the tired fighters, the Cheshire Cat appeared on the table, though this time with terrible news that did not match his large grin. "Splendid work, I expect as much from the brightest beacon." The cat then floated the cake and their folded clothes down towards them. "If you're looking for Alice, she's no longer here."

"No longer…but we took care of the Heartless." Jaune said.

"Yes, but other shadows have taken her. Now she is off with the shadows and into darkness." The cat spoke to them.

"So does that mean…Alice has become, one of them?" Velvet said in horror.

"Impossible." The Cheshire cat said, stunning the group. "Gone she may be, but darkness she has not become. Only trapped there with the other lights…and others." He finished as he vanished from the room.

"Others…you don't think he means everyone else from Beacon do you?" Yang asked.

"As much as I want to hunt him down and make him talk. We deserve to rest back in the ship." Weiss grabbed the girls and brought them towards the changing room, but not before threatening the knight with death if he tried to peek.

"We need to rest, fly to Traverse Town, talk to Leon about what that light was and have Cid look at that Gummi piece you picked up." Weiss listed off the things they need to do. "However, we've just had our toughest fight since Initiation and I just want to go back to that ship, play with the puppies and sleep."

"I'll agree to that. Plus we need to get Velvet introduced to Leon and crew. It's better to be in Traverse Town than in a world with no Gummi ships in it." Yang said as they made plans to take Velvet back with them.

"I-It would be nice. Hopefully Leon will have information on where Alice is." Velvet said.

Little did they know they had just taken the first major steps into what will be a long and unforgettable journey.

* * *

**TBC…**

* * *

** Hello everyone, sorry for the long updates but hopefully this chapter will make up for that wait. As well as news that Wolf and I are working on the next chapter as this goes up and it will be updated soon. I hope that you all are having a wonderful holiday and that you are all safe having wonderful times with family, friends, pets, and heck lie and pull up a good movie by yourself and relax. It's a time for everyone to unwind and have fun as this year draws to a close.**

** I like to thank everyone who favorited and reviewed Blachheart0009 story after last post, shout out to all of you for supporting him and supporting this story. Make sure to leave a lot of reviews and messages, little things to help make this story the best that it could be.**

**Happy Holidays!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Wolfpackersson09 and I do not own RWBY or Kingdom Hearts. RWBY is owned by RoosterTeeth and Kingdom Hearts is owned by Disney and Square Enix. Please support the official release.**

* * *

A pair of eyes slowly fluttered open as the last bits of unconsciousness faded. As she rose, Pyrrha saw that she had fell face down on top a stone floor, an unfamiliar stone floor. The floor, however, was nothing compared to what the huntress saw around her. Surrounding the floating circle of stone were massive waves of water, like a massive ocean. However, instead of flooding the space and washing Pyrrha away, the waves flowed back up and back onto itself as if held back by a powerful force. A force that put her semblance to shame. Sitting ominously over the water, Pyrrha could see a castle looming in darkness.

It was a lot to take in, but inside Pyrrha was ecstatic. Almost instinctually she knew that nothing like this existed in Remnant. The stone paths and the ocean around her were not held back by dust but by something much more powerful and more pure. The architecture wasn't in the styles of any of the four kingdoms or even from islands like Patch or Menagerie.

This is a new world, a world unlike Remnant, world where no one knew her as the _Invincible Girl_.

"We…we did it Jaune!" She celebrated with a large smile on her face. Until she noticed that her call wasn't answered.

"Jaune?" As she stared at her new surroundings more, Pyrrha found that she had landed there alone. No other person from Beacon, Nora, Blake, Ren, Yang, Weiss, Ruby, and much more importantly her partner; was there with her.

"NORA! REN! BLAKE! YANG! WEISS! RUBY! JAUNE!" Pyrrha continued to call out; hoping any one of them would answer.

She knew that they could take care of themselves; however this was still a new world. Pyrrha did not know any of the dangers that lurked in this world or if things like the creatures from behind the door were here as well. At this moment she wanted her friends to be with her right now…

But he wasn't.

'Where is he? He was right next to me when the path opened! Did he not make it?' That was her first thought and that frightened her the most; the thought of any of them being lost in that darkness.

It shouldn't be like this. He was supposed to be here! So why wasn't he?!

As more negative thoughts clouded her mind she didn't notice she was aimlessly walking around, as if searching for something. Until a metal clang reached her ears and she looked down.

"That's…" She didn't finish her thought as she picked up the fallen relics.

Crocea Mors. The signature weapon of her partner and leader, the sword and the shield now rested in her arms. Pyrrha sheathed the sword into the shield and stared at the Arc symbol above it. She held it gently and firmly. She knew it was a good sword, but she handled it with such care, that it was almost like holding a child...she must have been hanging out with Ruby too much to think of it like that. But, it was precious to her because it was Jaune's, and it gave her a bit of worry as now he was without his weapon.

* * *

**(Traverse Town)**

* * *

"So, this is Traverse Town?" Velvet commented as the four warriors strolled through the world gates an into Traverse Town's first district.

"Yep, this is our new home for the time being." Yang said as they had explained a little bit about the world to Velvet. "This little town is safe from those nasty Heartless especially since they have Leon and his crew living here too."

"Leon? As in the Leon from the Headmaster's message?" Velvet asked in confusion.

"Squall Leonheart, Aerith Gainsborough, Cid Highwind, and Yuffie Kisaragi" Weiss stated off more names. "We don't know if they're Huntsmen and Huntresses but they're all very powerful if what Jaune told us is true. They're the ones who help keep order and suppress the Heartless inside the two other districts as well as keeping District 1 safe and Heartless free." She finished her textbook answer.

"They also said that they came from another world too, actually most people who win up here are from other worlds, Worlds that have consumed just like Remnant." Jaune added on. "But enough about the negative stuff, we need to see about finding you a safe place to stay." The blond bounded back.

"Plus we do also need to gather more supplies while we're here." Weiss said while holding out a bag filled with munny.

"Where'd you get all that from Weiss, I thought no one here took Lien? Did you do an exchange somewhere?" Jaune asked.

"Nope, turns out when you pop Heartless they leave a few goodies behind. Kinda like some of Ruby's RPGs back home." Yang said as she showed off her bag filled with small miscellaneous things they had obtained from Traverse Town and Wonderland. She ruffled through and then pulled out a black and crimson horn. "Check it out this little thing. It's our trophy for beating the Trickmaster."

"Don't you think taking pieces of monsters as spoils is above us?" Weiss asked her teammate.

"Then how else will anyone believe the things we saw? Even if they read Jiminy's journal they might not believe us unless I show them proof." Yang said as she stuffed her treasure back in her bag.

"Wait, that means...dammit." Jaune said as he hung his head down in shame. He had been defeating Heartless nonstop since he fell into Traverse Town, but he hadn't stop to pick up a thing! He had no items, besides a ring that fell from the armor Heartless, and no munny from the fact that he didn't know about the drops.

"Is something wrong?" Velvet asked as she noticed Jaune's disappointed slump after that curse.

"I'm pretty much broke, and I didn't know how to make munny. I thought of getting a job while we're here, but at least I know now." The four were feeling a little better before the barking of puppies got their attention. Leaning back Jaune reminded himself of the litter of Dalmatian pups he was carrying. "Right, better get these little guys back to the Dearly before thinking of our next move."

Weiss, Yang, and Velvet were confused at the statement, but they followed on. Wondering what Jaune was doing with the puppies and where they were going.

* * *

(Scene Break)

* * *

"Thank you for finding some of our puppies." Anita smiled as she was happy to see a few of the puppies back. Pongo and Perdita were also happy to see some of their children returned safe and sound.

"You're welcome, but we were surprised that these Dalmatian puppies were scattered about. OH they are just the cutest things!" Weiss commented before picking up one of the Dalmatian puppies, who had a collar on that said: 'Whizzer.' "Yes you are! Yes you..."

"Whizzer! Bad dog!" Anita and her husband, Roger, shouted as Weiss stopped complimenting the puppy as it started to unintentionally mark Weiss as his territory.

"Eew! Gross gross gross!" Weiss quickly but gently released the dog, barely hiding her outrage at the fact her dress was now ruined. The others had to hold back their laughs at the Schnee's misfortune.

"Yellow snow am I right?"

"Yang!"

"Come on Weiss; let's use some of our loot to get you some new clothes and supplies. We'll catch up with you two at the ship; give us a text if you need anything." Yang took pity on her teammate and led her out so that they could find her a change of clothes, laughing all the while. Hopefully she would take out take her anger out on the Heartless lurking around the Second District instead of their group.

"Oh Dear, she left before we could give her an apology." Anita said as she ushered Whizzer to join the rest of the puppies.

"We'll...tell Weiss for you. She loves dogs so I don't think this will bother her for too long." Jaune said, trying his best not to sound awkward. He couldn't speak for Weiss but a part of him knew she would be hesitant to step foot into the Dearly house for a while.

"Mishaps aside…are there anything we can do to reward you for finding more of our family?" Roger sincerely asked.

"A reward, for what? It's just the right thing to do." Jaune explained.

"And yet not many people would risk their lives traveling around the different worlds just to find 99 puppies for a pair of strangers. There has to be a way to repay you all for your kindness?" Anita said. Roger thought for a moment before a thought came to mind.

"Your blond friend said you that you have a ship. I do have a few blocks I was hoping to sell to Cid once the district was less dangerous but you could find use it more than us."

"No we couldn't..."

"And I bet you dearies don't even have a place to call your own yet here." Anita spoke again, cutting off Velvet.

"We did have a hotel..." Jaune trailed off remembering that he had no munny to buy a room, considering last time it was Leon who paid for the room. Cid did give him the option to stay with him but he didn't know if the old mechanic had room for him and his friends.

"How about you all stay with us for a while?" Anita suggested as she looked at the Rabbit Faunus and Key-Bearing Knight, "I'm sure you children would need a place until you can get on your feet, and we have more than enough room for people and puppies. I also find your ears adorable. Are they perhaps an accessory?"

Velvet wasn't sure how to answer. Part of her wanted to avoid being discriminated against for being a Faunus, but the Dearlys were being so kind and generous that it felt bad to lie to them.

"Um, actually, they're my real ears. You see, I'm a Faunus." Velvet spoke shyly and was considering running off. Even if this is a new world, didn't mean the stigma of being a Faunus didn't follow. Before she could choose to Roger decided to speak.

"Well this is our first time meeting any Faunus, and if they're anything like you then you're welcome here. Please, just accept the room and the gifts. It might get a little crowded if you can help all our puppies get home, but our door is always open, right Pongo?" Pongo barked affirmatively at Roger's words as he walked up and gave Velvet a playful lick, and Perdita also did so to Anita who nodded and agreed with her husband.

"I do have one small request. You don't have to oblige, but may I touch your ears for a few moments?" Velvet wasn't sure about Anita's request, because she still remembered how some people, especially Cardin, pulled and yanked her ears. Anita noticed the girl shivering a bit, "I don't have to if you don't want me to."

"It, it's alright. Just, please be gentle." Jaune was glad that Yang wasn't around to hear Velvet's words, since she might have made a joke about how suggestive it sounded. Velvet clinched as the older woman's hand came, but there was no pulling or anything. Anita rubbed the ears gently and comfortingly that her initial discomfort and worry faded, even if Anita's brushed her hair a bit.

"Her hair feels almost like animal fur. It's very soft." Anita commented as she stopped rubbing. In all her time working in fashion she has felt nothing like it.

"Yeah, I know the feeling. I used to pet some of my sisters and rub their ears like that too. They'd let me know if it hurts though." That comment got Velvet's attention immediately as she lost her shyness.

"Your sisters'…Jaune does that mean…" Velvet looked at the boy in question. A part of her still stunned from what she just heard.

"Well, I don't have anything cool like you or Bl...ery good friend of ours, yeah, but I have a bit of it from my mom's side. It's kind of a coin flip whether or not an Arc is born extra fluffy or not. I would always get jealous, but we Arcs are just one big happy family." Jaune recalled his times back home. Inwardly he was also kicking himself for almost slipping with Blake's secret.

Usually Pyrrha was here to keep his mouth in check.

"Y-you have Faunus heritage. I-I never would have guessed." Velvet stammered in surprise.

"Well as much fun as it is talking about Faunus, you all are definitely staying with us for the night. Faunus aren't anything new around Traverse Town, I still see a lot of new people at the market that still blow my mind." Anita admitted.

"But, we don't want to intrude and we don't know if there is enough space...besides Yang and Weiss..." Jaune said.

"Your friends went to buy supplies, so they'll most likely run into old Cid by the accessories shop. Cid has a soft spot for newcomers so he'll definitely take good care of them." Roger reassured him. "Plus we have plenty of room, small issues when you're dealing with such a big family. People and pups."

"I-I suppose we could stay the night, but we really shouldn't intrude." Velvet said, and Jaune could already tell where this was going.

"I get the feeling you're not taking no for an answer?" The couple nodded, and he sighed, "Then I guess we'll be taking the offer. I'll go ahead and let Weiss and Yang know. You don't mind waiting here do you Velvet?"

The rabbit Faunus nodded as she didn't mind too much as he decided to go catch up with the girls and let them know. She had registered herself on their scrolls just so they could all keep in contact. As the knight he thought of maybe getting some extra practice with magic. He could feel that he could probably learn a new spell with the right inspiration soon.

* * *

(Scene Break)

* * *

Weiss was ready to get away from the blonde as after she was done being dragged around to look for new clothes; luckily she had an emergence spare outfit with her along with some dust. A Schnee always comes to battle prepared. The reason she was a second away from ditching Yang is because of Yang's puns and her deciding to gush over the blueprints and Gummi blocks to upgrade the ship in front of Cid.

"So, if I could get a Fira or Firaga Gummi and combine it with a Haste Gummi then that'll the Shining Beacon more kick?" Yang asked the older Gummi Ship engineer and her driving teacher for Gummi Ships.

"That's the idea. You can travel safely towards the closer worlds with what you hav' already but farther out where the meaner Heartless are you gotta either be fast enough to avoid them or have enough firepower to send those Heartless back to hell." Cid looked at the set of Gummis Yang had brought from their last trip. "Have you tried experimenting with these parts you've found?"

"Not yet, I wanted to bring them to you so that you can look them over." Yang shrugged as she picked up an Aero-G. "I figured you would know what they could do."

"I do but where's the fun in that?" Cid relit his cigarette. "Part of the fun of building your own ship is tricking it out and seeing which part does what. I'm just here to keep you from blowing yourself and your friends up."

"So you mean...?"

"No one taught you how to build your bike right?" Cid asked, cutting her off.

"No way, Bumblebee is my baby! I built her from top to bottom!" Yang answered. That bike was to her like Crescent Rose was to Ruby.

"Then treat Shining Beacon the same way. Plan, experiment, hell the computer inside actually can simulate and show you wha' each part does." Cid said, surprising her. "Yeah, those castle chipmunks really know how to build a ship. Your headmaster must have had 'em mass-produced for you kids in case a crisis ever went down on your world."

"Where did Ozpin order these ships from?" Yang asked. "I mean, it seemed all too convenient that he just had a hangar full of space ships ready just in case the world was torn apart." Atlas maybe considering their technology and the Schnee Dust Company but Vale, especially Beacon doesn't seem the type to mass produce ships with interstellar travel.

"Probably was hoping he would never have to use them." Cid spoke solemnly as he came across the special gummi Yang brought him. "Now this piece right here is special. It's amazing you've found something like this on one of the worlds without gummi ships."

"What is it? It popped out of the keyhole Jaune sealed up." Yang asked as she too stared at the mysterious glowing part.

"This gem, is a Navi-G, it allows the ship to access differen' worlds or I should say it allows the ship's scanner to pick up worlds farther than where it could reach before." Cid then gave the piece back to Yang. "Problem is, that's only half of a whole Navi-G. You get me another piece and I'll install it into the Shining Beacon for free."

"So, if we find the partner Navigational Gummi, then we can search more worlds?" Weiss asked, as this part intrigued her. Maybe her friends and family managed to get off the planet, or wound up on another world much like Velvet did.

"Yeah, like I said. The Navi-Gs will let you scan farther to get to different worlds. If you find its mate, then I'll put it for ya." Cid answered as Jaune came in the door.

"Hey, just letting you know that the Dearlys are letting us stay with them for tonight at least. Next time we fight Heartless, I'm getting some Munny for the hotel." The blonde knight said as he looked at the girls.

"Well more good news, we just found out that we can pick up more worlds if we find the other half of this Navi-G piece." Yang said holding it out so that their temporary leader could see it.

"Well, I hadn't seen this before, but I'm not a Gummi ship expert. That was Chip and Dale's job at Disney Castle." Jiminy commented, but he got the gist of what Yang mentioned about the Navi-G piece. Of course, the mentioning of the castle did spark interest in the three students of Beacon.

"Disney Castle? Ever heard of it Weiss?" Yang asked, guessing that Disney may be the name of a rich company or something similar like that if they owned a castle.

"I've never heard of a place called Disney Castle. Contrary to us having Kingdoms in Remnant you don't see a lot of intact castles; they became obsolete thanks to modern technology and architecture." Weiss then took another second to ponder the name. "I've met with most of Remnant's upper class but the name Disney has never come up once."

"I reckon' you wouldn't." Cid caught the three's attention. "Disney Castle is another world entirely. It's run by the King himself and only the most important of people know who he is. This Ozpin you keep talkin' about must be rather close with him if he sen' Gummi Ships like this to your world before the major shit happened." As Cid finished taking a drag from his cigarette Jiminy hopped onto a nearby table to continue where he left off.

"As he said, Disney Castle is ruled by the King. He might not govern all the worlds but he uses his resources to help keep order and balance between them, whether they are knowledgeable of other worlds or not. That…was until the Heartless came."

"So can we talk to the King? Maybe he knows why the Heartless showed up and maybe he knows a way to stop them or restore the worlds that were lost?!" Jaune asked the cricket.

Jiminy could only shake his head. "When the Heartless first attacked, the King did his best to protect as many worlds as he could. When the worlds started disappearing, he left to try and stop the source of the Darkness. As far as anyone knows he's still out there searching for it now, the only hint anyone has on where he is..." Jiminy then pointed to Jaune. "Is the keyblade you hold now Jaune."

"The keyblade?" Jaune thought before he realized something. "Right, the key! So we just have to keep searching and the keyblade will bring us straight to the King."

"That's a tall order kid. The universe is a big place and if you three go off exploring at random that will do no one any good." Cid then finished off his cigarette. "Just stay along the nearby cluster of worlds. If you found that block as close by as Wonderland then the other half can't be that far away. Plus if you're too far away from a world and your ship breaks down you're shit out of luck." Cid then moved from behind his counter. "It's getting late, you kids better head on out."

"How can you tell? It's always night around here." Yang asked.

"A little something here we like to call clocks, now get out of here so I can close up shop." Cid said as he gestured them out.

* * *

(Scene Change)

* * *

Yang, Weiss, Velvet, and Jaune were now using a spare bedroom that Roger and Anita offered for them to stay that night. The couple definitely had a big house; even if District 2 wasn't the most secure the Dearlys had enough precautions so that no Heartless crept in while everyone was asleep. Even so, the team decided to sleep in a single room so that everyone would be together in case of a disaster.

"It was sure nice of them to let us stay here for the night." Yang said as one of the returned puppies, not Whizzer, had given her a lick. She was reminded of Zwei, but kept it to herself

."I agree, even if one of the puppies ruined my dress." Weiss added as she gave one last pet to her current favorite, Jewel, before Pongo and Perdita rushed in and started shooing the puppies out and to their own beds. Jaune felt something more from the Dalmatian parents, it was the look in their eyes that gave him the feeling that they were more human-like then meets the eye. Possibly from how overprotective they are of their returning children.

"I'm very glad that we can sleep in a bed, but I am terribly worried about Coco and the others." Velvet did bring up a point that the others didn't bring up at the moment. Where was everyone else? This caused a depressing air to fill the room.

"Now I feel like crap."

Jaune got everyone's attention with that statement before deciding to explain why. "I was with Blake…when it all started. And then I ditched her to look for Pyrrha and Ruby..." The blond said guilt heavy on his voice.

"Blake's probably fine; I bet it was her idea to split up when the world was coming apart." Yang said as she tried to ease the knight's feelings. "Don't kick yourself over this Jaune, I'm sure Blake is out there safe and sound." The blonde unconsciously made herself comfortable, it was the first time in sleeping somewhere else besides the ship. Hopefully her sister was resting on something just as comfortable.

"Yang is right; out of all of us Blake has the most survivable skills out of us four. She was a member of the White Fang and I will hardly believe Blake would fall victim to any of these Heartless attacks." The Scnee spoke confidently about their teammate. "She definitely would have been able to make it to another ship and is possibly out there looking for us." Weiss agreed with her teammate.

Each ship was built with a mini CTT installed within the computer. While not as powerful as the four kingdoms own towers it allowed for communications between Huntsmen on the same world and possible between ships if they were close enough. In Team R(W)B(Y)'s minds it was only a matter of time before they've heard from Blake.

"You two have a lot of confidence in Blake." Velvet commented.

"You guys feel the same way about your teams' right? Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha are probably kicking butt on some world by now and Velvet's team is a year above us. If they can take on real missions in Remnant then they can handle whatever crazy worlds they've ended up in." Yang said.

Velvet nodded with a smile on her face. "Coco, Fox, and Yatsuhashi are really strong even if they are separated. Even if they haven't arrived here or on Wonderland I just have to trust that they are doing fine and are together with the rest of the other Beacon students." She spoke with new confidence in her team and friends.

"What about you Jaune, don't you have confidence in your Team?" Weiss asked.

"I don't doubt they didn't make it. Ren and Nora are possibly together somewhere out there but I was with Pyrrha right when that giant Heartless appeared, the one right under the hole in the sky. Just before Remnant got torn apart she vanished into the darkness. And before her, Ruby vanished through some weird door near the school." Jaune admitted, surprising Yang.

"And I'm not just worried about Ruby and Pyrrha, but about the rest of Beacon, our families on Remnant...it's just a lot to think about so far." Jaune slumped down on the bed.

"All the more reason for us to use that key of yours to wipe out the darkness." Yang said in confidence with the others nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, but I guess I just wonder what happened to the rest. I wonder what they're doing right now." Jaune wondered, and it was a good question.

"I am curious myself, but we should get some rest. Unless we're told otherwise we can assume they're fine and were evacuated with the other Kingdoms. We'll need our full rest and strength if we want to take back our home." Weiss' suggestion was a good one, and they decided to get some sleep. Even if Yang was trying to cheer him up, Jaune still felt bad about leaving Blake.

'I hope they're right, you were pretty close to the darkness too Blake. I'll just have to believe you were able to get to safety.' Jaune thought as he left the room so that the girls could get changed into their sleepwear.

"Oh man! I left my pajamas back in the dorm!"

* * *

(Scene Break)

* * *

Blake Belladonna, former member of the White Fang, infiltration specialist, and Huntress in training, was meeting with a man that Ozpin had sent. How that man knew Ozpin wasn't the question she had, because this man had been able to tell what happened to her and her world without a second guess. Before she could take out her weapon and try to interrogate her, the man only laughed and led her to where she is now.

The room was filled with books, and in the middle was the desk had books and human skulls with a candle placed on top of them to light the room. Primitive, but it wasn't like the candles she has seen or use. The light they cast was almost magical and eerie at the same time to her. Despite the creepy atmosphere of the room, that was only minor compared to the elderly man in front of her.

This man was garbed in azure blue robes that cloaked his body and wore pointed blue hat decorated with stars across it. Any other time she may had held back a laugh at his appearance but the aura around him gave off experience and power. A feeling she has only ever felt from ones like her father and Ozpin, and another individual if she was honest with herself. The man sitting across from her at the desk, stroking his long and silvery beard was the one who claim to know of Ozpin and her world's fate.

A man who only introduced himself as Sorcerer Yen Sid.

"We have much to discuss Miss Belladonna." Yen Sid spoke as Blake simply nodded, still a bit intimidated by the man.

"Yes, if Ozpin sent me to you to find this…Ansem." Blake said as she reminded herself of the orders she had received on her scroll from the Headmaster.

'_Locate Ansem, start your search with Master Yen Sid.'_

"As you must have guessed this is not an easy task. Ansem the Wise was a brilliant researching who has been studying the Heartless; however, since the Heartless have started invading the worlds his location has remained a mystery." The Sorcerer's eyes never left the young Faunus. "Many believe that he had perished along with his world after the Heartless' first invasion. Others say he is lost to darkness himself."

As menacing as those sounded, Blake knew this was not the case. There was no reason Ozpin would send her on a useless mission. Especially when she could be hijacking a ship an looking for her friends.

"We have reason to believe that these are not the case. Ansem is still amongst us and we are not the only ones looking for him."

"Do you perhaps mean ones like the The White Fang?" Blake asked hesitantly.

"I speak not of any of your 'local' groups of enemies. Rather, I refer to someone much more...dangerous, someone who would use his knowledge to pull the worlds further into the darkness and has the power to make that goal a reality." Yen Sid explained.

'As cryptic as obvious, maybe this is where the Headmaster gets it.' Blake thought with a scowl on her face. This mission was sounding direr by the second.

"But what can I do? I can gather information and follow leads better than most I know at Beacon. I've been trained in stealth and infiltration but how will I be able find one man in a sea of worlds?" Blake asked in worry. "Without magic like what you used to get me here? Without anything to fight those Heartless…how can I find something you or even Professor Ozpin can't find?"

"Child...like a pair of precocious brats I have trained a long time ago…you worry too much. You worry too much about the destination instead of the journey." Yen Sid stopped her rant, giving her a second to calm down. "Ozpin has much of his resources spent on finding Ansem as well as securing all the wayward souls from Remnant. We have eliminated a majority of unnecessary worlds from your journey." Yen Sid then stood up from his desk. "Rather, I'm sure if you follow your instincts and follow the key's path then you will have no problems finding Ansem."

"You and Glynda both spoke of this Key when I woke up in this world but what exactly is it?" Blake asked.

"Not what, but whom..." With a wave of his hand a large mirror floated from the wall to in front of the two. Blake watched as the reflection changed from the two speakers in the tower to a bedroom with four familiar faces to the Faunus.

"Jaune, Yang, Weiss...and Velvet! They all made it out!" Blake smiled, glad her some of her friends made it out of the disaster that befell Beacon as well.

"They are well and have begun a journey of their own. Jaune Arc now holds the Keyblade, the key that will decide the fate of the worlds around him. Weiss Schnee and Yang Xiao-Long have been tasked by Ozpin to locate the key and they have decided to pursue finding our lost king." Yen Sid explained as he returned the mirror and looked to Blake. "They too have with them samples of Ansem's work, which acts as a trail. He is within their area, possibly still studying the darkness."

"So if I stick close by, I'll find Ansem." Blake reasoned. "Why not have me join them if they have the key?"

"Yes and no, where the Keyblade goes, opportunities follow and not always good opportunities." Yen Sid explained. "Much like your world, protectors must have eyes in the shadows as well as in the light. We need a few individuals to trail them as well as search for Ansem and you are on of the best candidates."

"But…"

"Enough. The paths you two have set before you are different yes, but that does not mean they do not intertwine." He then conjured up a ticket to give to Blake. "Take this to return back to your ship. I have word your friends will be arriving at Olympus. If you are fast enough you may catch them."

Blake accepted the ticket and bowed her head. "Thank you, Master Yen Sid." The Faunus then turned to leave his office.

The bearded sorcerer made sure she left the tower before pulling out a cup of tea for him to drink. "If only a certain mouse had just as much patience as you kitten."

* * *

**(Twilight Town)**

* * *

As Blake left the train station to return to her ship she felt that she was not alone. Her "caretaker", the one that found her in this world and informed her of what was going on, the one who led her to Yen Sid after her call with Glynda was abruptly cut off.

From the fading darkness, a red robe flew over his shoulders to reveal black robe. Stylized with a few pouches that contained what Oum knows, blue light flickering across his chest rhythmically like a heartbeat. Even more mysterious were the red bandages that covered his face and the golden eyes that stared back at her own. DiZ, Darkness in Zero, walked out of the fading Corridor of Darkness towards the young Faunus.

"I suppose your talk with the Master was...enlightening." DiZ spoke.

"Yes, It was." Blake said, as she also felt a familiarity with the darkness. Its pull wasn't as strong on her or maybe because of her Semblance of Shadow that the power of Darkness never bothered her. Yet, she could still tell it was an unnerving power, and it came with a smell that she didn't find particularly pleasant. It didn't help that DiZ smelt like he bathed in the stuff, as if the darkness was clinging to him

"So, what do you plan to do now Miss Belladonna?" DiZ asked spoke with little difficulty, despite the fact that his face was bandaged. At this point Blake assumed it was because of magic.

"Master Yen-Sid gave me a lead on some of my friends. I'm going to use the Gummi Ship to meet up with them, and hopefully find Ansem. If he can help us, then we need to find him." The answer was very straightforward and simple enough. DiZ could respect the resolution in her eyes.

"I see...I will warn you now to be warry of the Ansem that you seek." Blake wasn't sure what DiZ meant with his words as she made her way through the streets towards the Gummi Ship, but she was stopped when he spoke once more, "If you happen to find Ruby Rose, I have a message to her from her grandfather: live as your heart chooses, and be happy."

While initially confused, the Huntress nodded her head. "I'll tell her then." Blake was already gone. Ready to meet up with Jaune and the others to tell what happened and let them know she was fine. DiZ simply started to walk away. Knowing that there was more to what was going on then met the eyes.

"The young are easily led by their hearts. I shall let her wonder a bit before setting her on the right track." DiZ spoke as he pulled out a black scroll. "An agent in shadows…you seem to be daring than usual Ozpin." Opening another corridor the masked man vanished, awaiting the next meeting with Blake.

* * *

(Scene Break)

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this Velvet?" Jaune asked her as he stood near the world gate. Yang and Weiss were finishing up the rest of the preparations so this the knight alone with Velvet near the gate.

"I'm sure, without my weapon I can only do so much. And I want to stay here in case any more students from Beacon arrive. It will be my way of helping you three with gathering information on the King." Velvet answered. "Plus I can't just leave those three ducks alone in a shop with all that's going on."

"Cid looks out for them, but I bet he'll feel better knowing a trained warrior is staying with Huey, Dewey and Louie." Jaune reassured himself.

Despite the few levels safety in Traverse Town, Velvet couldn't bring herself to leave the ducklings or the Dearlys alone. After speaking with Leon it was decided Velvet could stay behind and help with protecting the people from the Heartless. Since she did not have her weapon it was decided she would be stationed in District 1 so she would only had to deal with the occasional Heartless until she found a replacement weapon. Velvet also manage to talk Huey, Dewey, and Louie into giving her a job at the item shop which made it easier for her to help her friends learn how to use the new tools they found.

"This way I can be somewhat helpful to you all until I fully join you on the frontlines. Maybe if we send a message out we can have more Beacon students regroup here." Velvet gave the blonde knight a sincere smile. Before Jaune could argue anymore Yang called out to the Huntsman.

"Jaune, hurry up, we're ready to ship out already!"

Hearing that reminder, Jaune gave Velvet a final wave good bye before running back to the rest of his team. The Rabbit Faunus looked on to her three departing friends and gave a silent prayer for their safety. Her ears twitched a bit as she noticed Aerith walking up to her after she finished.

"Those three are going to be just fine. All we can do is keeping this world safe so that they have a place to rest." Aerith gave her some advice.

"I still wish I haven't left my weapon at the forge. I'd be able to go with them." Velvet admitted. A frown starting to form on her face as more negative thoughts went through her head. It was only when Aerith tapped her head that she snapped out her trance.

"None of that, I went through the same thing you did when two of my friends left here too." Aerith then presented Velvet a book with a green cover. "And what I learned is that instead of focusing on what you can't so to help, let's focus on what you can do to help. Weiss wasn't ready for this spell yet, but I think this one's a good starting point for you."

* * *

**(A.N.)**

**Hello and Happy January, mostly because it's too late to talk about the new year but I hope everyone had a safe and happy last months of 2016 and are having a great start to 2017.**

**So I'm writing this for mainly two reason. One, this story is not dead, the delays are mostly do to me as work and other obligations keep me from writing or put me in much mood to write. However, after reading all the reviews and the PM's some of you sent me it reminded me of why I love writing on this site and I will just make time to continue stories like this and others that I need to continue or rewrite.**

**The second reason is obviously about the RWBY show. Vol 4 dropped and Wolf and I know more about the characters, the lore, and more about the show than we did when the first chapter came up. It gives us a couple of more ideas and twists that we can add to this story. This is an AU and while it may mostly follow the KH route we have decided it will slightly deviate from it to make it a more interesting story.**

**With all of that said, thank you everyone for all the support, enjoy this chapter and expect more from us in the future.**

**-Shadowlight0982**


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